ROANOKE, W.Va. — The West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission Board of Control unanimously approved a proposal Tuesday for high schools to be classified on total enrollment figures of grades 9-12, based on enrollment figures for the 2024-25 school year from the West Virginia Department of Education.

The Board of Control, which passed the proposal by a vote of 150-0, is comprised of middle school and high school principals and athletics directors across West Virginia.

Under the proposal, schools with an enrollment of 1,050 or more will be Class AAAA; schools with enrollment of 625-1,049 will be Class AAA; schools with an enrollment of 351-624 will be Class AA; and schools with an enrollment of 350 or less will be Class A.

Locally, that means Wheeling Park will be Class AAAA; Wheeling Central Catholic High School, Class A; John Marshall, AAA; Brooke, Class AAA; Magnolia, Class A; Cameron, Class A; and Tyler Consolidated, Class AA.

Reclassification will go into effect beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.

Enrollment will be calculated at the start of the second school month of the year preceding classification.

The only Ohio Valley school impacted by the decision is Wheeling Central which dropped from Class AA to Class A. The Maroon Knights saw an increase of 27 students from 2023-24 to 2024-25, according to numbers supplied by the state Department of Education.

Wheeling Park will remain the only local Class AAAA school despite a decrease of 68 students. It had 1,493 students in 2023-24 and has 1,425 in 2024-25, making it the 10th-largest high school in West Virginia.

There are 20 schools in Class AAAA, an increase of four from the current school year.

John Marshall is the largest Class AAA school, of which there are 29, with 1,048 students. That’s a decrease of 23 students. Brooke picked up four students to land at 848.

Weir saw an increase in 12 students to become the third largest Class AA school with 582. Meanwhile, fellow Hancock County institution, Oak Glen, lost 26 students to sit at 469. Tyler Consolidated had no change and is listed at 368, Class AA.

Of the 39 Class A schools, Wheeling Central is the ninth largest. It has bounced back and forth between Class A and Class AA, and was even Class AAA at one point some time ago.

Magnolia (-28), Valley (-15), Cameron (-11) and Weirton Madonna (-33) all saw decreases in numbers.

Proposals were submitted last month during the WVSSAC Girls Basketball State Tournament, discussed Monday and voted on Tuesday at Stonewall Resort.

Also Tuesday, in a separate vote, the Board of Control determined what sports will utilize a four, three and no classification system.

A four-class structure will be utilized for cheer, football, volleyball, boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball.

A three-class structure of Class AAAA, Class AAA and Class AA/A will be utilized for golf, cross country, soccer, wrestling, tennis and track.

Swimming will not have a designated classification.

Any proposal passed by the Board of Control must later be approved by the West Virginia Board of Education, which will first hear public comments. A review from the Secretary of State Office for a 60-day window would be the next step before going into effect.