EAGLE POINT HIGH SCHOOL 203 Platt Street y P.O. Box 198 y Eagle Point, OR 97524

p: 541.830.6609 / f: 541.830.6682 y www.eaglepnt.k12.or.us Athletic Director: Seth Womack

To: Kyle Stanfield & Brad Garrett From: Seth Womack Eagle Point High School District Athletic & Activities Director Re: Geographical Exception Based on the proposed changes that will go to the Executive Board of the OSAA, Eagle Point High School is requesting a geographical exception out of the 5A Midwestern league and into the 4A Skyline league. Eagle Point is one of the few schools in the 5A classification who was in favor of the 5 classification model, but was out-voted by the remaining members. The following information and reasons pertains to our interscholastic sports and to our current and proposed league. Below, we are providing our main reasons for moving away from the 5A Midwestern league and into the 4A Skyline league. Reason #1: Loss of student instructional time

x We are a student-driven school district who places an enormous emphasis on in-class summative assessments and instructional time. With our addition to the Midwestern league, we will significantly reduce our ability to prepare our student-athletes for the challenging world we face.

x In the Skyline league our student athletes would miss approximately 74 hours of instructional time, compared to 367 hours lost in the proposed Midwestern league.

x Our participation numbers in all sports have dropped and one of the biggest reasons given by parents and students alike is the travel time and loss of school attendance. If we remain in the Midwestern league, we will see our athletic numbers continue to drop, not as a result of on-field play, but as a direct result of our student-athletes losing the time they need in the classroom.

Reason #2: Not filing for a petition to play down

x Eagle Point was notified on November 17, 2016 that we met the criteria to be considered at a lower classification. Eagle Point meets two of the criteria: 1) We exceed the 50% free and reduce lunch rate, and 2) our winning percentage in all team sports was 25% or less, 40% of the time. The two criteria that we do not meet are that of finishing in the bottom 50% of the final rankings or finishing in the bottom 20% of our 5A classification. It should be noted that outside of three sports (Football, Boys Basketball, and Softball) all of our programs fall well within the criteria. Although it is difficult to compare these three sports, it is of paramount importance that we demonstrate how our other sports are representative of our athletic student body.

x We decided not to petition to play down because at the date of submission, June 1, 2017, the two proposals released by the OSAA had neither Willamette High School nor North Bend High School and our travel was actually reduced.

EAGLE POINT HIGH SCHOOL 203 Platt Street y P.O. Box 198 y Eagle Point, OR 97524

p: 541.830.6609 / f: 541.830.6682 y www.eaglepnt.k12.or.us Athletic Director: Seth Womack

Reason #3: Reduction of cost x Our approximate financial obligation next year in the Midwestern league will be $18,345. This

number does not include anything other than busing. The following are just a few of the items which been omitted from this calculation: substitute costs for coaches who serve as teachers, after-school tutoring costs for student-athletes on bus trips, additional insurance costs for travel, and possible hazardous road condition maintenance for buses.

x The approximate financial obligation next year in the Skyline league would be $9,240. x Money paid to substitute teachers could be decrease significantly by joining the Skyline League. x Money paid by parents to attend away contest is also not figured in, but would also be drastically

decreased by joining the Skyline League. Reason #4: Classroom teaching hours lost as a result of league obligations

x According to our records for teacher/coach responsibilities, we currently have 22 teachers whose priority is to serve in an educational capacity while also serving as a paid Assistant Coach or Head Coach.

x In addition, the instructional hours lost by our certified teachers who serve as coaches would be 705 hours if we remained in the Midwestern league. However, if we joined the Skyline league, our teachers would lose only 113 hours.

x If we remain in the Midwestern league, not only will our interscholastic athletes lose class time, but our coaches’ everyday classroom students will lose their primary instructor a minimum of two weeks a year, or ten school days out of 180 instructional class days.

Reason #5: Previous precedent set

x The Bend school district was allowed a geographical exception to play at the 5A level due to the fact they were 128 miles to Eugene and 173 miles to Medford.

x Eagle Point is 170 miles to Eugene, while our farthest trip in the Skyline would be approximately 75 miles to Klamath Falls.

x Currently Bend High School has an enrollment of 1558 and has competed at the 5 level. At this time, that is 655 students more than Eagle Point and 784 more students than the 5A’s smallest public school, North Eugene High School.

The biggest concern that we have here at Eagle Point High School is the well-being of our students and the students of our opponents. We and our opponents will be facing an innumerable amount of additional problems and issues as a result of this decision. This decision is detrimental to the well-being of all our student-athletes, community, and opponents who want to participate in scholastic activities. Thank You.

Seth Womack Eagle Point High School

MILES COST MILES COST70 $110 70 $110330 $400 25 $7525 $75 140 $230330 $400 71 $150330 $400 140 $230330 $400 140 $230330 $400 71 $150360 $420 60 $105

2105 $2,605 717 $1,280263 $326 90 $160

Est. Miles* Est. Cost*2920 $2,6602105 $2,6051460 $1,3301460 $1,3302105 $2,6052105 $2,6052105 $2,6052105 $2,605TBD TBDTBD TBD Total Cost: $18,345TBD TBD Instructional Hours Lost: 367.5

Est. Miles* Est. Cost*842 $1,520657 $1,240421 $760421 $760657 $1,240657 $1,240657 $1,240657 $1,240

TBD TBDTBD TBD Total Cost: $9,240TBD TBD Instructional Hours Lost: 74.5

*Based off of average number of trips per sport per season** 2 Buses***Schedule varies and does not always follow league schedule

Crater

AshlandCrater

Travel and Time ConsiderationsROUND TRIP LEAGUE TRAVEL

AshlandChurchill

North ValleyPhoenix

North EugeneSpringfieldThurston

WillametteNorth Bend

HenleyHidden ValleyKlamath Union

Mazama

Total MilesAverage Trip

(Mileage and Cost done for 1 bus & 1 driver)

Football**Volleyball

Average TripTotal Miles

Track***XC & Golf***Wrestling***

Sport

12.5 Hours lost66 Hours lost

12.5 Hours lost12.5 Hours lost

Boys SoccerGirls Soccer

Girls BasketballBoys Basketball

BaseballSoftball

66 Hours lost66 Hours lost66 Hours lost66 Hours lost

Sport Est. Instructional Time*

Total Miles: 16,365

Football**Volleyball

Boys Soccer11 Hours Lost6.5 Hours Lost6.5 Hours Lost

XC & Golf***Wrestling***

Proposed Midwestern League

Est. Instructional Time*

Proposed Geographic Exception into Skyline

6.5 Hours Lost

Girls SoccerGirls BasketballBoys Basketball

BaseballSoftball

Track***Total Miles: 4969

11 Hours Lost11 Hours Lost11 Hours Lost11 Hours Lost

2014-15 30/32 Y 30/32 Y 0-9 0%2015-16 26/32 Y 26/32 Y 2-7 22%2016-17 09/31 N 09/31 N 7-2 70%

2014-15 24/33 Y 24/33 N 4-19 17%2015-16 28/33 Y 28/33 Y 5-16 23%2016-17 29/33 Y 29/33 Y 3-17 15%

2014-15 17/33 Y 17/33 N 9-5-1 60%2015-16 20/33 Y 20/33 N 8-6 57%2016-17 24/33 Y 24/33 N 6-9 40%

2014-15 30/33 Y 30/33 Y 3-9-2 21%2015-16 29/33 Y 29/33 Y 2-8-4 14%2016-17 28/33 Y 28/33 Y 3-10 23%

2014-15 27/33 Y 27/33 Y 7-16 30%2015-16 31/33 Y 31/33 Y 6-18 24%2016-17 22/33 Y 22/33 N 10-12 45%

* = Only 4 wins from 5A opponents

FOOTBALL

2/3 2/3 2/3

53.68%52.58%

Eagle Point Athletic Results 2014-2017

% of Free & Reduced Bottom 50% Bottom 20% W/L Less than 25%

54.17%

Volleyball

53.68%52.58%54.17%

3/3 2/3 3/3

% of Free & Reduced

Boys Soccer

53.68%52.58%54.17%

3/3 0/3 0/3

Bottom 50% Bottom 20% W/L Less than 25%

% of Free & Reduced Bottom 50% Bottom 20% W/L Less than 25%

52.58%54.17%

3/3 3/3 3/3

% of Free & Reduced Bottom 50% Bottom 20% W/L Less than 25%Girls Soccer

53.68%

52.58%54.17%

3/3 2/3 1/3

% of Free & Reduced Bottom 50% Bottom 20% W/L Less than 25%Boys Basketball

53.68%

2014-15 17/38 N 17/38 N 13-12 52%

2015-16 22/33 Y 22/33 N 6-18 25%

2016-17 33/33 Y 33/33 Y 0-23 0%

2014-15 28/33 Y 28/33 Y 4-22 15%

2015-16 16/33 N 16/33 N 12-13 48%

2016-17 11/33 N 11/33 N 13-13 50%

2014-15 7/33 N 7/33 N 20-7 74%

2015-16 15/32 N 15/32 N 14-13 56%

2016-17 9/31 N 9/31 N 9/31 N

52.58%

54.17%

2/3 1/3 2/3

% of Free & Reduced Bottom 50% Bottom 20% W/L Less than 25%Girls Basketball

53.68%

52.58%

54.17%

1/3 1/3 1/3

% of Free & Reduced Bottom 50% Bottom 20% W/L Less than 25%Baseball

53.68%

52.58%

54.17%

0/3 0/3 0/3

% of Free & Reduced Bottom 50% Bottom 20% W/L Less than 25%Softball

53.68%

Free & Reduced 14-15Free & Reduced 15-16Free & Reduced 16-17

53.68%52.58%54.17%

Bottom 50% finish = 71%Bottom 20% finish = 42%Less than 25% W/L = 50%

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ERIKA BARE JAY PRESKENIS Principal Assistant Principal MELANIE MARRONE KARL KEMPER Assistant Principal Athletic & Activities Director GLENNA STILES Dean of Students

Ashland High School Inspiring learning for life!

October 12, 2017 To the OSAA Executive Board (cc: Classification & Redistricting Committee): First of all, thank you for your dedicated service to the student-athletes throughout the state. Volunteering for this difficult, controversial task is admirable and we appreciate your efforts. Ashland High School is making a formal request of the Oregon School Activities Association that to place us in the 4A Skyline Conference for the time block of 2018-22. The current proposal of placing us in a 5A Oregon conference that includes six teams from outside our region puts an undue travel burden on our student-athletes and coaching staff. The financial strain on our district is extensive. Given the current financial realities of the next few years, it seems counter-productive to consider any proposal that increases the financial burden on school districts. We understand that the committee may question our “eleventh hour” petition but there are extenuating circumstances that have led to this action. We have felt the move we are currently requesting would be best for our kids all along. However, we have grudgingly accepted that our situation would be the same with five teams to play up north, as has been the case in the current time block. Some iterations even made our travel situation a little bit better with “only” four schools in our league that are approximately 180 miles away. Until the “final recommendation” from the committee, there was not one iteration that had six schools from out of our area in the Midwestern League (ironically, the name of the league we are in does not even represent the southwest region of the state where we are actually located). Adding a sixth team of significant distance became our “tipping point,” with very little time to respond as this development came so late in the process. Similar to the three schools in Bend district, who were granted a geographic exception in the last time block, we have three 5A schools in our region or a league that are in “geographic isolation.” The difference between our situation and that of the central Oregon schools is that we are actually 40 miles further away from the Eugene/Springfield area than they are. It is approximately 360 miles round trip for us to travel to each of these destinations. That is longer than the distance of traveling from Portland to Bend. If we scheduled all of our varsity sports teams in our proposed new conference in a similar manner as we would in a local conference, it would amount to approximately seventy trips of that distance per year just for our varsity sports teams. If an individual student-athlete were to play soccer, basketball, and baseball or softball, they would be making eighteen of that length in a school year. Student-athletes and coaches who participate in a single sport season will travel 2,292 total miles to play one away contest at each school in the league, with an average round trip length of 287 miles.

Our kids would spend so much time traveling, it impacts their health, sleep, and academic performance. It has caused our kids to choose to participate less than before we were in a league. While our number of total students playing sports has held steady over the time we have been in the Midwestern League, we have a significant drop in the number of kids who play multiple sports, as they articulate needing to take seasons off to get caught up in school because of falling behind when they are in season. We strongly urge the committee to consider our proposal, using what is best for kids as your guiding principle. In addition, we already have a difficulty finding enough coaches to fill our staff, with the increased time away from home being a big factor in making this challenging job much less attractive. Coaches from the teaching staff, already a dying breed, may disappear altogether because of the class time that they have to miss. Because of the number of teams in the state, it would seem to make more sense to have five classifications instead of six. We have been a proponent of this since the first time we dealt with a major reclassification in 2006. We have testified in support of this multiple times through the years. However, we understand that the majority of schools are in favor of six classifications and that it works for most of the state. The unique situation for 5A schools in southern Oregon makes us an outlier and so we ask that you make an exception, as you have precedent with Bend schools, and place us in a local league with reasonable travel. We do not believe the 4A schools in the Skyline would support our request to join their league but we believe it is the right thing to do for all kids. We would not anticipate dominating at the 4A level, which they might believe to be the case. As we are sure you are getting input from a wide variety of viewpoints, it has to be quite a challenge to make the “right” decision, with no easy answers. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of our proposal. Sincerely, Kelly Raymond Erika Bare Karl Kemper ASD Superintendent of Schools AHS Principal Athletic Director

MW League Ashland MWL(‐NBHS) Ashland Skyline AshlandChurchill 352 Churchill 352 Henley 188Crater 38 Crater 38 Klamath Union 174Eagle Point 52 Eagle Point 52 Phoenix 18North Bend 370 North Eugene 370 Mazama 186North Eugene  370 Springfield 362 Hidden Valley 102Springfield 362 Thurston 372 North Valley 98Thurston 372 Willamette 376Willamette 376

Total Miles 2,292 Total Miles 1,922 Totall Miles 766Average round trip 287 Average round trip 275 Average round trip 127

Lost Intruction Time:   18 hours Lost Intruction Time: 15 hours Lost Intruction time: 3.25 HoursNot including three school nights with students returning home between 12‐1am

Key Notes: If they approve a travel exemption for N. Bend out of MWLAHS travel is equal (within 50 miles) to what theirs would have been

AHS in the skyline league reduces travel by 1,520 to 1,156 milesTravel is cut by 34% Average travel cut by 44%

Largest difference in adjusted ADM in MWL with N. Bend is 535 StudentsWithout N. Bend the largest difference is 493

Largest difference in adjusted ADM for Skyline with Ashland is smaller then bothof the MWL options at 478

Other Options: 3 team league with Crater Eagle Point and Ashland?

Skyline Hybrid League adding Crater Eagle Point and Ashland?