Frequently Asked Questions

Competitive balance is a process that promotes equity and fairness in a sporting organization by classifying schools into competitive divisions/classes by considering factors more than just enrollment.

Organizations can tailor the process to their specific issues. In the case of the MSHSL, it could result in the reorganization and  reclassification of the competitive divisions, with a goal of decreasing the apparent advantage the current system gives to private schools. It would require the MSHSL to go beyond the ineffective current model of only considering enrollment to determine classification.

Many states apply a multiplier to the enrollment of private schools. This number is multiplied by the school's enrollment and effectively increases the school's enrollment and moves them to a larger class. This multiplier varies by state, and typically ranges from 1.3 to 3.0.

Other states use this multiplier in conjunction with a success factor. The success factor assigns points based on athletic success- for example winning sectional, regional, or state titles. When a school's team has accumulated a certain number of points, they are moved up to the next higher competitive class. Failing to have success can allow schools to move back down.

Other states hold separate championships for private and public schools. 

The particular system must be designed to specifically address that particular state's root source of inequity. 

While the MSHSL has been aware of much of this data since 2018, no action has been taken because the organization's bylaws require this issue to be brought up from a member school or regional representative. Over 20 other states have implemented competitive balance processes, so this is not a novel concept.

The MSHSL has a program to decrease the effective enrollment of schools that have high levels of students that receive free and reduced lunches. This program appears effective at moving certain schools into smaller competitive divisions, and is a great start at creating equity. This program is unable to move any of the socioeconomically advantaged schools into larger divisions, as it is not designed to do this. This program is not a meaningful substitute for a true competitive balance process.

• Contact the regional secretaries whose emails are on the following page.  Send them a link to this website. Ask them to introduce a proposal to create a task force or working group to evaluate ways for the MSHSL to implement a competitive balance process.
• Write to the MSHSL board of directors- email addresses are on the subsequent web pages.
• Contact your local high school administration and school board to make them aware of this data and this issue

This website was created by a group of parents and community members who are not affiliated with the MSHSL or a MSHSL member school. At a cookout in 2016, a discussion about the success of private schools at the state tournament brought up the question of how the MSHSL manages the public/private school competition? That group of people decided to collect the data and look at this issue. The data was all obtained from the MSHSL website, and in 2018, when it was first compiled, it was sent to several region secretaries and MSHSL board members. The group was told at that time that the issue must be raised by a member school, so the MSHSL did not act on that information. In the subsequent years, no action has occurred, so the data was updated and this website was created to make the data more accessible to anyone who wants it. You may email us at MSHSLcandobetter@gmail.com