One of the hottest topics of debate when it comes to high school sports in Oklahoma is that of public schools vs. private schools.

The advantage of the non-public schools - whether real or perceived - has stirred emotions in the state from the water cooler to locker rooms to the OSSAA board room and even the courtroom.

While a non-public school’s ability to “recruit” is generally the first topic that may come to mind for most fans, it’s another issue that has caused those on the public school side of the issue to scream “unfair.”

Private schools, whether they actively practice it or not, have the ability to limit their enrollment.

Public schools have to accept every student that lives inside their respective districts in their doors.

While not all non-public schools have the same policies, most have some way of limiting their enrollment, which, when it comes to sports, allows them to “control” their classification in certain sports.

After more than a year of research and debate, the OSSAA passed a Rule 14 more than a dozen years ago that was the first real step in trying to level the playing field.

In a nutshell, the rule states if a non-public school experiences a designated level of success in a sport for a designated period of time, it will be bumped up a classification in that sport.

A school’s classification in specific sports is determined by its average daily membership (ADM).

There were limits to that rule and there have been tweaks over the years.

There have also been some factions who have attempted more extreme measures in dealing with private schools within the OSSAA’s realm.

Among the discussions was forcing all non-public schools to participate in their own, separate playoff brackets in each sport.

That was one of several scenarios on the table for the OSSAA Board of Directors, but that option was shut down in March.

That’s when Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond sent a “cease and desist” letter to the OSSA regarding the potential plan.

In the letter, Drummond said the plan violated the Equal Protection Clause and its passage would likely bring legal action against the OSSAA.

Drummond’s letter said the plan sought to protect competitive balance “due to an unchecked perception and presumption that the nonpublic schools dominate the football playoffs.”

Drummond then followed that up with playoff results from the 2022 football season, stating only one class (3A) had a private school in the championship game (it featured two, Heritage Hall and Metro Christian).

“Therefore, the Office of Attorney General hereby demands that the OSSAA immediately cease and desist any further efforts on this matter,” Drummond wrote.

While the OSSAA board didn’t further seek to push that plan, a new one has been sent to the more than 480 member schools that would alter the current status of Rule 14 if passed.

The ballot - which was sent to school representatives on June 12 - was approved by the board at its June 7 meeting.

The changes were proposed by a “Rule 14 committee” commissioned by the OSSAA board. The committee is comprised of administrators from both public and non-public schools.

Here are some highlights of the changes on the ballot:

• Allows schools to continue to be bumped up in classification if the school continues to meet the success criteria. The lone exception is football, which would have a two-class bump limit from the school’s ADM. (The current rule states schools can bump up only one classification from its designated ADM.)

• Allows schools to be bumped up to 6A-II in football. (The current rule only allows teams to go as high as 5A.)

• Defines the success criteria in athletic activities as finishing in the top four at the end of the season’s playoffs in two of the last three years of playoffs. (The current rule only requires teams to finish in the top eight in two of the previous three years.)

• Allows boys and girls basketball teams to be un-coupled when only one of them meets the success criteria. The exception would be 5A and 6A, which will have district play during the regular season. (The current rule forces both boys and girls teams to bump up even if only one meets the success criteria.)

• Stipulates the least successful public schools will bump down if a private school bumps up in classifi cation. The exception is Class 4A and below where no team will bump down if a team is bumped up. (The current rule bumps down the smallest school in ADM from the class where a private school has bumped up.)

If the ballot receives a majority of “yes” votes, the changes will go into effect July 1, in time for the 202324 school year.

If Kingfisher County Schools are any indication, the changes will be approved.

Voting representatives from all six Kingfisher County schools responded to a KT&FP poll on how they voted or planned to vote on the measures.

All six said they voted “yes.”

“Our coaching staff to a person seemed to be in favor of a ‘yes’ vote on the policy change,” said Kingfisher Superintendent David Glover.

If there are sides of the aisle, this issue has three of them: Public schools, private schools and the OSSAA.

Glover has been on two of those sides. He’s been a coach and superintendent at multiple public schools and also served 10 years on the OSSAA staff before coming to Kingfisher.

“Over the years, the non-public school issue has grown to where it has become more and more apparent that they have advantages that some - if not most - public schools may not have,” Glover said.

“We appreciate the work of the OSSAA and the Rule 14 committee in putting together this proposal that again makes an effort to level the playing field even more.”

Cashion head football coach and athletic director Lynn Shackelford is the voting representative for his school district.

He has been among the more outspoken voices in doing more to level the playing field for public schools and said he voted “yes.”

Shackelford said large schools (5A and 6A) have been less outspoken on the issue because they’ve been affected less, especially in most of the major sports.

“The success private schools have is mostly from those in the metropolitan areas,” Shackelford said.

“The schools they’re competing against are rural schools.”

By not putting a cap on how many classes a school with continued success can be bumped up, some of that may change, he said.

“I feel like the best thing for them (private schools) would be to compete against schools that are in Oklahoma City and Tulsa,” Shackelford said. “Because of that, I feel like they should continue to move up in class.”

The superintendents at Lomega, Dover and Okarche all said they voted for the proposed changes.

Hennessey Superintendent Jason Sternberger currently serves on the OSSAA board.

He sent his district’s ballot to HHS Principal Josh Faulkner, also the athletic director.

“We do feel it puts a little more balance in it for those schools that do have the edge,” Faulkner said. “By removing the cap, it helps do that.”

He said some of the other measures on the ballot could prove beneficial creating balance.

“There are some things in there that made sense and that’s why we supported it,” he said.