Santa Margarita Placed With Parochial Schools

The Southern Section Executive Committee voted, 7-4, Wednesday to group Santa Margarita High School with other parochial schools for the purpose of placing the school in an athletic league in the 1990-92 school years.

Santa Margarita, a Catholic school that opened two years ago in Rancho Santa Margarita, had been rejected earlier by representatives both from the Catholic Athletic Assn. and the 54 principals from public leagues in Orange County in determining the placement of the school for the two-year cycle beginning in 1990.

Father Michael Harris, principal of Santa Margarita, said the team wants to play in a public league in the county, largely because of transportation costs. That grouping would set a precedent in the county but is common elsewhere in the Southern Section.

The vote is expected to be appealed to the California Interscholastic Federation.

Santa Margarita currently competes in the Olympic League, which is composed of private schools with an average enrollment of 470 students. Santa Margarita will play in the league next year, but the school is projected to grow to 1,200 students by the time its first senior class graduates in 1991.

Because of its projected size, the school would have to be grouped with county public schools or with parochial schools of similar enrollment in the 1990-92 league realignment cycle. But neither the public schools nor the Catholic schools want to accept it.

The school was accepted by league representatives of the county’s public schools last month, then later the move was rejected when many of the county’s 54 public schools complained that they were not fairly represented at the meeting.

Attorney Nicholas Wieczorek, representing the CAA, argued that the cost of transportation and distance of travel to CAA member schools, such as those in the Angelus and Del Rey leagues, would be unfair if Santa Margarita was placed with the parochial schools.

Attorney David Larsen, representing the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, argued that Santa Margarita has no boundaries and does not have to accept every student that applies; therefore, it has an unfair advantage over a public school in athletic competition.

“This is not a religious issue, but a difference in educational philosophies,” Larsen said. “The public schools in Orange County have a concern over Santa Margarita’s athletic competitiveness.”

Harris said he understood the position of each side, and described his school as “a helpless pawn” amid the controversy.

“We have no power or opportunity to control our destiny,” Harris said. “We just want the opportunity to play. We don’t want to cause harm to other schools or leagues. I don’t see any harm in our kids playing in an Orange County athletic league.

“There is this perception that Santa Margarita is going to create problems for public high schools that is unfounded. I feel we’ve been judged, tried, convicted and sentenced before we’ve ever competed. Given the opportunity, it will work out.”

Father William Brelsford, principal at St. Bernard, said: “We still maintain that Santa Margarita belongs in the Orange County geographic location. That’s the only issue we are concerned with. This will be appealed. That, I know.”

Corona del Mar Principal Tom Jacobson, president of the council, also felt that by making an exception, the committee would be making a mistake.

“We’re talking about a major change in policy and practice that could set precedent,” he said. “Do we make an exception or continue with a common practice of placing schools?”