Section Denies Catholic Schools’ Inclusion

The Southern Section’s releaguing committee Monday rejected requests from four Catholic high schools to be included with public schools in Orange County athletic leagues for the 1992-94 seasons.

The 10-member committee, chaired by Principal Michael Phillips of Pomona, reversed a decision it made only a month ago that allowed Mater Dei and Santa Margarita high schools to be placed in the county’s geographic area. That decision opened the door for Catholic schools to play with county public schools in the same leagues for the first time.

The committee’s original decision, however, was overruled by the section’s executive committee two weeks ago because of irregularities in the releaguing process.

Four county Catholic schools--Santa Margarita, Mater Dei, Servite and Rosary--requested the inclusion because of rising transportation costs. Representatives from each school made three-minute presentations to the committee Monday.

Presidents from the county’s nine public school leagues were present and were joined by about 20 other public school principals who were in support of denying the Catholic schools’ requests.

Currently, all private schools in Orange County compete against other private schools in what is termed the private geographic area.

Committee members rejected Mater Dei’s request to join the county area by a vote of 7-2. The committee also rejected a joint request by Servite (an all-boys school) and Rosary (an all-girls school) by a 7-2 vote. Clark Stephens, principal at Liberty Christian High School, and Rev. Robert Gallagher, principal at St. Paul High School, were the only committee members who voted in favor of the requests.

The committee did show more sympathy for Santa Margarita, a four-year-old high school located in Rancho Santa Margarita, but still rejected its request by a 5-4 vote.

Jim Ryan, principal at Foothill High School and a member of the releaguing committee, noted that philosophical differences between private and public schools was the primary reason the committee denied the four schools’ requests.

Catholic schools operate without attendance boundaries or districts, allowing them to draw students from an unlimited area. Public school administrators feel strongly that the lack of attendance areas gives private schools an inequitable advantage in athletic competition.

The four schools will have a final opportunity to appeal the committee’s decision to the executive committee on Feb. 20. Representatives from the schools indicated they would appeal Monday’s decision.