New Schools Create Logistical Problem

There are 61 high schools with sports programs in the Los Angeles City Section. That could grow to more than 90 over the next 10 years, which has led to urgent discussions among sports officials on how to revise current leagues and whether to create a small-school playoff division.

“It’s got to be unprecedented to be adding this many athletic programs in such a short period of time,” said Barbara Fiege, section commissioner.

Changes could happen as soon as next school year, when the City might add as many as nine new schools to its sports program.

What leagues will they compete in? Should schools be in different leagues for different sports? Will playing games on Saturdays become necessary?

All these questions and more will have to be answered by a recently formed re-leaguing committee that has been entrusted with putting together a master plan. Denny Thompson, the principal at Canoga Park and a former Sylmar baseball coach, is the committee’s chairman.

“We’re literally starting from scratch,” Thompson said. “My thought is to think seven to 10 years. We have to be real open-minded. We’re going to get people involved, take it slow and get it right.”

Fiege said serious consideration must be given to launching a section small-school championship division similar to what the Southern Section has because many of the new schools will have enrollments of fewer than 1,000 students.

“I’m convinced it’s time for a change,” she said.

“We have too many schools competing in our system.”

The Los Angeles Unified School District, in the middle of a massive building program, has 13 high schools scheduled to open between July 2005 and July 2008. Five of the high schools are in the central Los Angeles area and four in the East San Fernando Valley.

Then there are the more than 20 start-up charter high schools, most with fewer than 500 students and limited athletic facilities, which may want to participate in interscholastic athletics.

And on Tuesday, the district’s Board of Education approved a five-year plan to divide schools into clusters of 350 to 500 students, which could produce more new high schools on smaller campuses.

Most likely, the City will have to create leagues for the new schools rather than add the schools to the existing eight leagues. But the big question is what to do with charter schools. Should they be grouped in their own leagues like the district’s magnet schools?

Fiege’s top priority is developing criteria for charter schools to follow if they expect to gain section member status, including meeting concerns about gender equity, facilities, coaches’ training and athletic dues.

The issues are so complex and far reaching that when Fiege advised the section’s governing body, the Interscholastic Athletic Committee, of the coming challenges, one exasperated member said, “How many are getting ready for retirement?”

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Under Construction

The L.A. Unified School District plans to open these 13 high schools by July 2008:

*--* School Location Opening East Valley No. 2 Arleta July 2005 South L.A. No. 1 Los Angeles July 2005 Southeast No. 2 South Gate Sept. 2005 SE Learning Center Maywood July 2005 East Valley No. 3 Van Nuys July 2006 East Valley No. 1B N. Hollywood July 2006 Central L.A. No. 1 Hollywood July 2006 Central L.A. No. 10 Los Angeles July 2006 Central L.A. No. 9 Los Angeles Sept. 2006 East Valley No. 1A Sun Valley July 2007 Central L.A. No. 11 Los Angeles July 2007 Central L.A. No. 2 Los Angeles July 2007 East L.A. No. 1 Los Angeles July 2008

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Source: LAUSD (opening dates are subject to change).