City Section Approves Releaguing Proposal for Start of Fall Season

With only minor changes from the original proposal released three months ago, the City Section on Friday approved a sweeping releaguing plan for its 49 member schools that will take effect in the fall.

The office of Superintendent Leonard Britton of the Los Angeles Unified School District approved the plan, which originally was released in February and gained approval of the Interscholastic Athletics Committee, the section’s governing body, April 8.

City schools in all sports will be divided into six conferences, five of which consist of two, four-team leagues. The sixth conference includes a five-team league. The conferences and leagues have yet to be named. The conferences are structured roughly along geographical lines and are divided into 4-A and 3-A divisions. The 2-A has been eliminated.

The City’s 16 Valley schools are divided into two conferences. One conference consists of Cleveland, Granada Hills, Kennedy and San Fernando in one league, and Canoga Park, Chatsworth, El Camino Real and Taft in the other.

The Valley’s other conference consists of Birmingham, Monroe, Reseda and Van Nuys in one league, and Grant, North Hollywood, Poly and Sylmar in the other. Verdugo Hills, originally included in that group, has been added to a league consisting of Franklin, Lincoln and Wilson.

Another change from the original proposal affects Valley basketball teams. North Hollywood and Birmingham will switch leagues for basketball only, placing the North Hollywood and Reseda girls’ teams in the same league. In each of the past two seasons, Reseda has beaten North Hollywood in the City 3-A championship game.

“We didn’t like separating North Hollywood from Grant, which is a neighborhood rivalry, but we wanted to keep Reseda and North Hollywood together,” City Commissioner Hal Harkness said.

Harkness has supported the plan since its inception, saying it will alleviate problems by reducing travel time and expenses. The plan also keeps schools in the same leagues for most sports.

Harkness said the City has postponed a decision on baseball scheduling until the fall. Under the plan, teams would play league members four times and teams in the conference’s other league only once. Baseball coaches have objected to the format, which Harkness said will be changed.