WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A proposal from the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) seeks to address what appears to be an imbalance between public and private school athletics.
Earlier this year, the majority of KSHSAA member schools approved the multiplier, which is now being heard by the state board of education. The multiplier applies to private schools that have won five or more team state championships, in all sports, in the last five years.
If this is the case, they will move up at least one class in the KSHSAA classification. So, in fact, a 4A private school goes up to 5A. Currently, the ranking for each school, public and private, is based solely on student enrollment.
Just outside the Kansas City metro area, Paola High School Principal Jeff Hines said he’s been digging into this for at least a decade and has data to back up there’s an issue.
“Private schools in our state make up less than 8% of the membership but are winning nearly 40% of the championships,” Hines said. “You should expect 8% of the schools to win roughly 8% of the championships.
What Hines described as a competitive imbalance in favor of some private schools led Hines to look for solutions. He supports the KSHSAA multiplier that is currently proposed.
“This is the furthest we’ve ever gone in terms of addressing a competitive imbalance and hopefully creating a postseason championship series for student-athletes and activity participants in the state of Kansas that’s really fair for everybody,” Hines said.
With the proposal, select private schools that have won five state team championships in all sports in the last five years would start with a 1.0 multiplier, which would move the school to the next highest KSHSAA class to rise in 6A. There are other factors that are weighed, including another league factor that can multiply it higher. There are also separate factors, geographic population and socioeconomics that can increase the multiplier.
“For more than half of the private schools in Kansas, they will not be affected in any way shape or form by this proposal,” Hines said.
One of the private schools is Wichita’s Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School which rises from 5A to 6A.
“The success of 28 children over five years who want to win two girls golf championships, two boys golf championships, bowling and tennis (championship) out of about 2,000 children who participated (over those five years) in Kapaun, seems pointless. to be moved on the multiplier,” said Athletic Director Kapaun Mt. Carmel Marty Straub.
Straub said this is mainly in response to a handful of Kansas City-area private schools that have dominated state championships.
“In the end, it’s really about the kids. It’s not about the ego of the adults, and I think all these arguments ended up being more focused on the frustration of the adults,” said Straub.
He said the issue of the perceived competitive imbalance is with a small number of schools.
“If they’re not following the rules, if they’re recruiting, if they’re using undue influence, if they’re doing those things, the rest of the state doesn’t have to bear that burden,” Straub said.
For passage, the multiplier needs approval from the state board of education which plans to take at their September meeting. The Kansas legislature also needs to sign off before it can take effect and state lawmakers don’t return until January.
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