McKenzie proposes rule change; JCM closing not “official”
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – The TSSAA has a handful of topics to discuss on Thursday concerning West Tennessee schools.
The first topic the Board of Control will address is a proposal by McKenzie High School.
Principal Tim Watkins is asking to reclassify schools every two years instead of every four years.
“McKenzie is one of the schools that falls right around the cutoff from 1A to 2A. Being a school that sees that, I see both the advantages and disadvantages that can be had with the numbers,” Watkins said. “Let’s just say we come in above the 2A numbers or above the cutoff, but then two years we’re below it and it’s not a 20 percent drop — then we don’t drop.
“The same thing happens from 2A to 3A and so forth. I just think it levels the playing field and gives everyone an equal playing field. This is not a McKenzie issue, but can help anyone across the state that issue.”
Watkins is unsure how committee will respond to his suggestion, but thinks a discussion needs to happen.
“You take a small school like us where we run around 400 students on average, you’re talking 80 kids which is almost a grade level change of kids for us to go up and down” Watkins explained. “The large the school, larger you’re talking. Take a school that has 1500 kids. They’ve got a change of 300 students which is a huge change in a two year time.”
The second item on the agenda concerning West TN pertains to Jackson Central Merry High School.
The TSSAA has announced they’ve received “unofficial word” that the Madison County Board of Education voted to close JCM at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
For the closing to become official, it must be reported in writing to the state office. Once that process is completed, the TSSAA will send a memo to all schools affected by JCM’s closing.
