In 2018, schools to shuffle

Texarkana, Mills, Dollarway to drop

A staple among Arkansas’ highest classifications is moving down to the state’s third-highest classification, effective 2018.

Texarkana, which has played sports in the Arkansas Activities Association’s two largest classifications since the modern era began in 1968, saw its enrollment fall to 857.33 students over a three-year average, which makes the southwest Arkansas school the largest Class 5A school.

The AAA released enrollment numbers for the 2018-2020 reclassification cycle Tuesday.

Sylvan Hills, located in Sherwood in Pulaski County, moves up from Class 5A to Class 6A, with its enrollment increasing from 712 students to 1,005.33, good for the state’s 24th largest school.

The two Springdale high schools, Springdale High and Springdale Har-Ber, are the state’s largest schools in attendance, with enrollments of 2,413 and 2,402.67, respectively. Cabot is third with 2,373.67 students.

The state’s 16 largest schools will play in Class 7A, followed by the next 16 largest schools in Class 6A. The next 32 largest schools

2018-2020 HS reclassification list. Page 3C.

are in Class 5A, while the next 48 largest football schools and all basketball-only schools are in Class 4A. In Class 3A, the next largest 48 football schools and all basketball-only schools are in the state’s fifth-largest classification. In Class 2A for football, the next 48 largest schools and the remainder of football schools fall into the

state’s sixth classification. The remainder of schools are in Class 1A.

Moving up to Class 5A is Huntsville, which has an enrollment of 519 students.

Mills, in southeast Little Rock, is dropping to Class 4A. Mills will be the largest school in Class 4A, with an enrollment of 497.33.

Of the five high schools in the Little Rock School District, Parkview was the lone school to gain enrollment,

increasing from 788 students to 853.33. Parkview is the second-largest school in Class 5A behind Texarkana for the 2018-2020 cycle.

Five schools are making the move up to Class 4A — Bald Knob, Elkins, Rivercrest in Wilson, Benton Harmony Grove and Green Forest. Booneville, Harrisburg, Pine Bluff Dollarway and Baptist Prep, a Little Rock private school, are moving down to Class 3A.

Palestine-Wheatley, Rison,

Danville and Camden Harmony Grove will move up to Class 3A, while Yellville-Summit, Marianna, Gurdon and Fordyce drop down to Class 2A.

The AAA will announce conference and mixed-conference district recommendations during its summer workshop in June, with appeals to follow. The final approval will come in August at the association’s governing body meeting in Little Rock.