High Schools | No decision made on return to Metro

Seattle public high-school principals sat down Thursday to decide whether the city's four Class 4A schools should return to the Metro League. They wound up calling a long timeout.

They tabled a recommendation that Franklin, Garfield, Roosevelt and Ballard leave the suburban KingCo Conference and rejoin the Metro League in the fall of 2008. Under the proposal, Metro would become a 3A-4A league.

The principals from the 10 public high schools met for more than three hours and didn't take a vote.

"A consensus wasn't going to be reached, and the motion was tabled," said Al Hairston, coordinator of athletics for the Seattle Public School District.

Hairston indicated that the principals probably won't deal with the issue again until they meet in late August or September. Any recommendation at that time to bring the schools back to Metro would go to new superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson for approval.

Hairston admitted he was surprised the measure wasn't passed. He had expected passage after a Tuesday meeting where no vote was taken because three of 10 principals were absent.

"I really can't say what spun it," said Hairston. However, he added, "The more we discussed it, the more complicated we realized it was."

Hairston said, "There were some strong feelings expressed on both sides.

"The majority of 4A schools are very interested in coming back and 3As are concerned under what circumstances [the 4A schools would come back]."

The main argument for returning the 4A schools to the Metro League is a sentiment that the city's public schools should be in the same league. The move also should reduce transportation costs and missed class time, Hairston said.

Moving to Metro also would provide a better chance for success for city teams in sports dominated by Eastside schools. The combined record of city schools in football against suburban teams is 27-214 over 10 seasons.

The primary argument against the 4A schools rejoining Metro is that they are more than double the size of some schools in the league and would have an unfair advantage over the weakest programs, which already have trouble fielding teams.

There also is the argument that the interaction between the urban and suburban schools is beneficial.

Hairston said, "I hate to say this, but I'm basically on the fence on this one. I think there are pluses and minuses on both sides. That's why it's a difficult decision."

Among the other issues are whether the 4A schools would lose district-tournament berths by moving to Metro and whether the 4A junior-varsity and C teams could find enough opponents in the city.

Hairston said the feeling is that if the principals vote to bring back the 4A schools they must present a plan on which there is considerable agreement and not just hand the superintendent a vote tally.

Hairston said schools are obligated to tell the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association about a year in advance if they are changing leagues. The new two-year WIAA cycle will begin in the fall of 2008.

Hairston said there is a possibility that Franklin, the smallest Seattle 4A school and the one that has the most trouble against suburban competition, may drop to 3A for the 2008-09 because of declining enrollment.

Franklin's winless softball team was blasted 64-0 by Woodinville this season. The Franklin girls soccer team hasn't won a game in eight years, the volleyball team is on a 50-match losing streak and the boys soccer team snapped a four-year losing streak this spring by defeating 3A Evergreen in a nonleague match.

If the decision is made that the city 4A schools should return to Metro, Hairston said there now are differing opinions about whether they would have to be voted back in by the entire league. In addition to the six Seattle public 3A schools, the Metro league also includes six private schools plus Bainbridge.

"These are Seattle schools and basically the Metro League is a Seattle league," he said, citing one argument why a vote wouldn't be necessary. The league started as a public-school league in 1914 and started adding private schools in the 1970s.

Even if a vote is needed, Hairston predicted it would be favorable for re-admittance.

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com