Urgency to realign apparent for NIAA panel

Actual realignment of the classes in the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association is likely still months away.

But it appears at least some change will take place.

Members of a Southern Nevada realignment committee met Wednesday at Legacy High School, and while no specific plan was adopted, committee members seemed to understand the need to realign as school budgets dwindle.

“The light went on for a number of individuals,” said Clark County School District trustee Larry Mason, who is chairing the committee. “Now they understand that something needs to be done. The direction … is toward positive change.”

The committee briefly looked at three separate proposals for realigning the current 3A and 4A classes and said it would look at more proposals  in November. Southern and northern committee members likely will meet this winter.

“We’ll look at all the proposals,” Mason said. “We have to probably come up with a recommendation (for the NIAA) in January or February. Clark County will definitely benefit from this.”

The NIAA is hoping to make a recommendation for realignment to its Board of Control in March. Among the factors being considered by realignment committees in Southern Nevada and Northern Nevada are transportation costs, missed class time, competitive balance and how to help the current Class 3A schools fill out a schedule.

Southern Nevada has only three Class 3A schools — Boulder City, Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley. There are only 10 Class 3A members among the 105 schools in the NIAA.

CCSD executive director of athletics Ray Mathis said his office spent approximately $1 million on buses last year. Mathis also said CCSD schools can no longer take school buses to athletic events outside the state or on trips of more than 250 miles one way.

NIAA assistant director Donnie Nelson said Class 1A and 2A representatives met in Reno on Tuesday and are on “a pretty good path to agreeing on how they want to (realign).”

Unanswered is how many divisions or classes there would be under any alignment and whether or not the qualification system for postseason would be affected. Committee members hope to begin to solve those questions next month.

“I’m encouraged by the dialogue that was generated today,” Nelson said.