Orem, Highland will have their worlds rocked in proposed re-alignment plans

Many people may not relate to this issue, but for those in Utah County, the proposed realignment of the high school regions by the UHSAA is a very big deal and it could transform Orem High School athletics into something different than it’s been in a couple of generations.

Growing up, Orem was the mortal enemy of my alma mater, Provo High School. The basketball games used to set national attendance records and it was as intense an affair as you would have found anywhere. When I got engaged to my wife, who attended Orem High, one of our first major disagreements was if our children would go to Orem or Provo. As it turned out, they ended up going to Mountain View and Timpanogos. Thank goodness.

If you read Mike Sorensen’s column in the Deseret News on Monday, you know where this is going. He’s a Highland High graduate and if the realignment goes through, both Orem and Highland will incur major expenses and an identity crisis with their longtime rivals.

The USHAA’s plans for new regions and classifications for 2011-14 is largely based on enrollment research and Orem differs in two or three bodies from others who will remain in 4A, like Springville, and will be removed from the same classification and region as longtime rivals Mountain View, Timpanogos, Provo and Timpview.

Orem would drop to 3A and be assigned to Region 11 with Spanish Fork, Payson, Carbon, Delta, Juab and North Sanpete, leaving its longtime rivals in Region 8 and in 4A.

The travel differences and costs for players, coaches and families would be significant.

This is leaving a lot of Orem folks scratching their heads, former players like Alan Pollard (Mountain View) whose kids attend Orem High now. Open enrollment for those rival schools mean many athletes will chose to be aligned with a more comfortable competitive situation in the valley, to the demise of Orem High.

And, yes, I’m sticking up for the Tigers. It simply isn’t fair. My wife is proud.

There is a public hearing scheduled Wednesday (Nov. 17) at 5:30 p.m. in Murray and the UHSAA is seeking feedback from districts, schools and the public on the proposed realignment. The location is 199 East 7200 South in Midvale.

The UHSAA also has an online re-alignment comment form where folks can register their opinions and complaints. Fill out the form here.

My objection is simple. It is harmful to longtime rivals, the cost of travel is dumb and it will change the competitive air in this area for athletic teams that have been knocking heads since 1921 (Orem versus Provo). Orem has been a chief rival or Mountain View for 21 years.

Provo, Mountain View and Timpview are within five miles of Orem High. Travel to Carbon, Delta, Juab and North Sanpete are between 46 and 100 miles (53 and 1 hour and 52 minutes). This will result in a more travel time and missed class time for student-athletes. If you live in rural Utah you expect and understand having to travel. Orem High is in the middle of Utah County. The furthest road trip for Orem in Region 8 is Salem Hills just 19 miles (33 minutes) away.

Basing this re-alignment on enrollment, when the differences between 3A and 4A can be three to 25 students is not the way to make a decision about something this important to local athletics, be it at Orem or Highland High.

If this gets your fur to stand up, take some action and let your voice be heard.

Since I posted this, I’ve received some excellent feedback including this email from a school official from central Utah:

DH,

I am a member of the school board for North Sanpete School District. I just read your blog about Orem and Highland. I agree. However, no one seems to be looking at it from the viewpoint of the smaller schools. Do you think Juab, Delta, and North Sanpete want to play Orem, Spanish Fork and Payson either? When you even have school complaining that they don’t want to be dropped a classification then you know there are huge problems.

Here is the email I sent to the UHSAA.

Mr. Cuff and members of the Board of Trustees,

I am writing this letter as an individual member of the Board of Education of the North Sanpete School District, and am not in any way representing the board or district.

When I look at the proposed region realignment I am reminded of watching the television program Sesame Street when I was a young child. One of the regular segments on that program was entitled “One of these things is not like the others.” Typically four items would be shown with one item very obviously not belonging in the group. When I scan down the list of schools for the 3A classification it is very obvious that a few of these schools are not like the others. North Sanpete, Delta, and Juab do not belong with Payson, Spanish Fork, and Orem. These are mismatches of monumental proportions. Why this is not obvious to the UHSAA is beyond my ability to comprehend.

A common sense approach to realignment is what is needed. In addition to student numbers, factors such as travel time and expense and traditional rivalries need to be seriously considered.

Our district was also told that the Youth in Custody students would not be counted in the final numbers used to determine classification. These students should not be counted because they are not part of the traditional school setting and are not typically part of the pool of students that are considered eligible to participate in extra-curricular activities.

Finally, this new alignment has the very real potential to be devastating to our athletic department. I question whether our school will be able to compete at such a level. I respectfully ask you to reconsider the region placements.

Thank you,

Greg B. Bailey
North Sanpete