BHS drops from 3A to 2A

By Staff report • January 23, 2024 1:30 am
Nicholas Zeller-Singh/Kitsap News Group Bainbridge students pack the gym at North Kitsap High School last week as the boys lost but the girls won in basketball games. Because of declining enrollment, the Spartans will drop to the 2A level.
Nicholas Zeller-Singh/Kitsap News Group Bainbridge students pack the gym at North Kitsap High School last week as the boys lost but the girls won in basketball games. Because of declining enrollment, the Spartans will drop to the 2A level.

The door has closed for all those Bainbridge High School parents wanting to return to the Metro League in Seattle.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has reclassified BHS into the 2A division for the 2024-28 classification cycle as of Jan. 21.

The 2A classification contains 63 schools in the state with enrollment numbers between 450-899 students. Since Bainbridge’s enrollment has steadily declined the past decade or so, the Spartans are now the third-largest 2A school in the state with 887 students.

BHS was a 2A school during much of the ‘8os and ’90s before moving to 3A in 1997. During COVID they changed from the 3A Metro League to the 2A Olympic League for a variety of reasons, but still had to play playoffs in 3A. Many parents were upset about that because of the perceived drop in the quality of the competition.

Despite the 2A classification, schools can play non-league games against larger or smaller schools in other leagues.

Several schools are appealing the WIAA’s recent changes to drop down a classification or petitioning to drop a classification in football only. Since schools are still appealing, the league realignments and schedules for next year’s sports teams will not be set anytime soon.

The BHS athletic director was unavailable for comment by the time this paper went to press, and the coaches were not allowed to comment yet.