FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2022

See ADM Numbers from March 31, 2022 Here

See VHSL Recommended District Alignment Plan Here

See VHSL Recommended Region Alignment Plan Here

The VHSL Alignment Committee has made its recommendations for the 2023-24 – 2026-27 4-year alignment cycle. Included are March 31, 2022, ADM list, Recommended Region and District alignment plan (attached), and minutes from the July 25, 2022, Alignment Committee meeting.

The March 31, 2022, ADM list shows the figures used to assign schools for the current cycle with designated break points separating the classes. Based on the recommended alignment plan, if a school would like to appeal its placement, it must submit its appeal in writing to the VHSL office no later than Monday, August 8, 2022, with justification/rationale included. Guidelines to consider appeals include but are not limited to:

1% above or below the class cutoff. Support from the Region that the school is requesting to join. Undue hardship on school – includes geography, financial hardship(s) such as transportation, class time, etc.

The March 31, 2022 ADM listing is a straight representation of the member schools from largest to smallest based on the latest figures reported by each school division to and provided by VDOE.

Below is the timeline moving forward with this process:

August 8 Deadline to request an appeal (post appeals the next day)

August 15 Deadline to submit an opposition to an appeal (post appeals the next day)

August 23 Appeal Committee meets to hear appeals and recommend the final alignment plan to the Executive Committee for 2023 – 2027.

The Appeals Committee is a five-person appeal hearing panel, approved by, but not members of, the Executive Committee. The five-person panel shall conduct a hearing to evaluate each appeal during which one representative of the school shall be permitted to present evidence in support of the appeal. The five-person panel shall render its decision in response to the appeal and shall inform the appellant school within 30 days.

Appeal Committee will meet Tuesday, August 23, (tentative time 9:00 a.m.) to consider final appeals; after acting on appeals, the Committee will present its final plan with justification for Executive Committee approval on September 21. A school may then appeal the Appeal Committee’s decision to the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee shall conduct no hearing in response to the appeal. Instead, the Executive Committee’s review of the appeal shall be limited to an evaluation of the written record of the original appeal as published in the appendix of the Recommended Alignment Plan. The Executive Committee shall then issue its decision in response to all such appeals as amendments to its final motion to approve the formal alignment plan.

The VHSL’s Executive Director shall inform each appellant school of the Executive Committee’s decision. The decision of the Executive Committee shall be final.

September 6 Appeals to Executive Committee due

September 21 Executive Committee determines final alignment plan – 2023 - 2027