Moving up, moving down or moving around, realignment no easy chore

MIDVALE — High schools are always hesitant to switch regions and classifications when it's time for realignment, especially when they are placed in more difficult situations.

That's what made Bonneville High's decision to move to a larger classification on Thursday almost jaw-dropping.

On the day the second draft of the alignment for school years 2009-13 was drawn up by the Utah High School Activities Association's board of trustees, Bonneville volunteered to move up to 5A — and it was accepted by the board.

Bonneville was placed in 5A's north region, along with current 4A school Roy and six other schools. Dean Oborn, Region 1's representative on the board, said Bonneville is willing to move up to 5A despite having almost 200 fewer students than the smallest 5A schools to reduce travel and preserve rivalries.

The Lakers, if they remain in the north region when realignment is finalized in June, will be able to compete in the same region as Weber School District schools Roy, Weber and Fremont.

"We really like the competition and the rivalry that comes with the four schools," Oborn said.

Roy was placed into 5A's north region in the first draft, and that was another reason why Bonneville wanted to move up to the larger classification.

"Roy-Bonneville has been a rivalry for so many years," Oborn said. "They would have still played each other, but now it means something. That was a big issue."

Bonneville isn't the only team moving up in the second draft.

Murray and Cottonwood both were placed in 5A on Thursday, while Hillcrest, a current 5A school that was put in 4A in the first draft, was moved back up to 5A. The board of trustees lowered the cutoff enrollment number between 5A and 4A from 1,600 students to 1,500 and that decision placed Murray, Cottonwood and Hillcrest in 5A.

The 1,600 to 1,500 cutoff drop between 5A and 4A was the only enrollment number adjustment from the first draft made by the board of trustees on Thursday.

Reducing the cutoff number to 1,500 students kept Cyprus, Granger and West — three schools that made cases to stay in 4A at the realignment hearings last month — in 5A. That didn't sit well with Region 3 representative Terry Bawden, who argued to drop the schools back to 4A.