The association that governs high school activities in Oklahoma voted down a proposal Tuesday that could have forced its 21 non-public school members to compete in a higher class.
Convinced that private schools hold a competitive advantage, administrators from Bridge Creek, Blanchard, Holdenville and Sulphur pushed for a plan that would have forced private schools like Bishop McGuinness and Heritage Hall to compete in a classification higher than their actual enrollment.
The board of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association heard arguments from both sides of the issue during a nearly two-hour session before voting down the proposal. The board chose instead to organize a constitutional committee to review the situation and come up with a proposal of its own.
But state legislators who spoke at the meeting raised the possibility of legislative action, and some said a separate association could be formed.
"If you don’t give them a say about the direction of the organization, I can guarantee you they will create their own organization, and nonpublic schools will not be a part of it,” Rep. Corey Holland, R-Marlow, said before the vote.
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