The GHSA executive committee voted Monday morning to rescind its May vote to move to six classifications, but it turned around 30 minutes later and re-voted to unanimously approve the six-class plan at the Marriott Macon City Center.
The change came after members of the reclassification subcommittee called for an impromptu recess a few minutes into the general executive committee meeting. The subcommittee members decided to recommend a re-vote on six classes.
The re-approved six-class plan does have a slight tweak. The reclassification subcommittee was given some leeway in the percentage of schools designated to fill each class. For example, if the current plan required 17 percent of member schools to be placed in Class AAA, the subcommittee could alter the percentage a little one way or another to balance travel, members said.
The GHSA currently has a five-classification system. The changes voted on Monday go into place beginning with the 2012-13 school year.
Members of the 50-member executive committee first approved the subcommittee’s recommendation to rescind its May vote approving a six-classification system.
Charlton County athletics director Jesse Crews asked for a 20-minute recess of the reclassification subcommittee. The subcommittee met and decided to recommend the six-class plan back to the full executive committee.
The six-class plan was approved 26-24 in May, but it was only proposed in new business after another plan was voted down. A few members of the executive committee, including Crews, felt like the GHSA Constitution and By-Laws were circumvented in the vote because the six-class plan wasn’t the recommendation of the reclassification subcommittee.
The recess seemed to ease tension in the subcommittee, and its members voted to go back to the executive committee meeting and recommend the executive committee to again approve the six-class plan.
