The Virginia High School League (VHSL) has released a proposed two-year realignment plan that would begin in the 2017-18 academic year.

Currently the VHSL follows a 12-region alignment, in which schools are separated into six classifications that are split between two regions, that are then split into conferences.

The proposed plan reflects a 24-region realignment with each classification separated into four regions without conferences.

In the proposal, Prince Edward County High School, which is currently in the 2A East Region in the Quad Rivers Conference, would be classified in the 2A South Region with schools like Amelia, Bluestone, Nottoway and Randolph-Henry.

“The good aspects of the new VHSL realignment plan is it keeps Prince Edward with all of the 2A James River District teams together — if Buckingham is allowed to move as Randolph-Henry did — at the regional level. Geographically, all but three of the schools in 2A South are within two hours of Prince Edward so the travel would be less,” said Prince Edward County High School Athletic Director Rodney Kane.

“The bad part is the equality in number of schools as 2A South could end up with 16 teams, while 2A Central only has nine competing to get to the state tournaments. Having 16 teams is a good and bad thing as 16 teams is fine for a tournament bracket with no byes, but the equality of having to go up against more teams than other regions does not seem fair.”

Buckingham County High School would still be classified as 2A, but would fall under the Central Region in the proposed plan. Some other schools in that region would be Appomattox, Dan River and Martinsville.

“We currently play all of those teams in 2A West, so one factor that is reduced is the ‘unknown,’” Buckingham Athletic Director Jeff Garrett said. “It is a tough region with a lot of good teams, many of which have gone on to win state titles out of that region in several sports.”

Cumberland High School, currently in the 1A East Region under Conference 42, would continue to be categorized in the 1A East Region.

The proposed realignment must be approved by the VHSL Executive Committee before the change would take place.

Under the VHSL proposal, the new regions would be:

1A

East: Colonial Beach, Charles City, Chincoteague, Essex, Franklin, King & Queen, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland, Rappahannock, Surry County, Sussex Central, West Point and Windsor.

Mid-East: Altavista, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, William Campbell, Carver College Career Academy, Central-Lunenburg, Cumberland, Galileo Magnet School, Stonewall Jackson-Quicksburg, Luray, Rappahannock County and Riverheads.

Mid-West: Auburn, Bath County, Bland County, Covington, Craig County, Eastern Montgomery, Fort Chiswell, Galax, Highland, Parry McCluer, Narrows, Radford, Rural Retreat and George Wythe-Wytheville.

Far West: John I. Burton, Castlewood, Chilhowie, Council, Eastside, Patrick Henry-Glade Spring, Holston, Honaker, Hurley, Northwood, Rye Cove, Twin Springs, Twin Valley and Thomas Walker.

2A

South: Amelia County, Arcadia, Bluestone, Bruton, Brunswick, Goochland, Greensville County, King William, Nandua, Nottoway, Prince Edward County, Randolph-Henry, Maggie Walker and Washington & Lee.

North: Buffalo Gap, Central-Woodstock, Clarke County, East Rockingham, Robert E. Lee-Staunton, Madison County, George Mason, Nelson County, Page County, Strasburg, Stuarts Draft and Wilson Memorial.

Central: Appomattox County, Buckingham County, Chatham, Dan River, Floyd County, Giles, Glenvar, Gretna, James River-Buchanan and Martinsville.

West: John Battle, Wise Central, Gate City, Graham, Grayson County, Grundy, Lebanon, Lee, Marion, Richlands, Ridgeview, Tazewell, Union and Virginia High.

3A

Southeast Region: Colonial Heights, Lakeland, New Kent, I.C. Norcom, Park View-South Hill, Phoebus, Poquoson, Southampton, Tabb, Warhill and Booker T. Washington, York.

Northeast Region: Armstrong, Brentsville, Culpeper County, Hopewell, Thomas Jefferson-Richmond, Manassas Park, John Marshall, James Monroe, William Monroe, Petersburg, Riverside, Skyline, Spotsylvania, Warren County and George Wythe-Richmond.

Region 3: Broadway, Brookville, Fluvanna County, Fort Defiance, Heritage-Lynchburg, Liberty-Bedford, Monticello, Rockbridge County, Rustburg, Spotswood, Turner Ashby, Waynesboro and Western Albemarle.

Region 4: Abingdon, Alleghany, Blacksburg, Cave Spring, Christiansburg, Hidden Valley, Lord Botetourt, Magna Vista, Northside, Patrick County, Staunton River and Tunstall.

4A

East Region: Churchland, Deep Creek, Denbigh, Grafton, Great Bridge, Heritage-Newport News, Jamestown, King’s Fork, Lafayette, Lake Taylor, Smithfield and Woodrow Wilson.

Central Region: Caroline, Chancellor, Courtland, Dinwiddie, Eastern View, Hanover, Huguenot, King George, Louisa County, Midlothian, Monacan and Powhatan.

North Region: John Champe, Dominion, Fauquier, Freedom-Loudoun, John Handley, Harrisonburg, Heritage-Leesburg, Kettle Run, Liberty-Bealeton, Loudoun County, Loudoun Valley, Millbrook, Park View-Sterling, Rock Ridge, Sherando, James Wood and Woodgrove.

West Region: Amherst County, Bassett, William Byrd, Carroll County, Charlottesville, William Fleming, E.C. Glass, Jefferson Forest, Liberty Christian, Pulaski County, Salem and George Washington.

5A

Eastern Region: Bethel, Gloucester, Green Run, Hampton, Hickory, Indian River, Kecoughtan, Kempsville, Maury, Menchville, Nansemond River, Norview, Princess Anne, Salem and Warwick.

Central Region: L.C. Bird, Deep Run, Douglas Freeman, Glen Allen, Mills Godwin, Henrico, Hermitage, Highland Springs, Lee-Davis, Matoaca, Meadowbrook, Prince George, J.R. Tucker and Varina.

North Region: Briar Woods, Broad Run, Thomas Edison, Falls Church, Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria, Robert E. Lee-Springfield, George Marshall, Potomac Falls, Stone Bridge, J.E.B. Stuart, Tuscarora and Wakefield.

West Region: Albemarle, Atlee, Brooke Point, Halifax County, Patrick Henry-Ashland, Patrick Henry-Roanoke, Massaponax, Mountain View, North Stafford, Orange County, Potomac and Stafford.

6A

Region 1: Bayside, Frank Cox, First Colonial, Granby, Grassfield, Floyd Kellam, Landstown, Ocean Lakes, Oscar Smith, Tallwood, Western Branch and Woodside.

Region 2: Clover Hill, Colonial Forge, Cosby, Thomas Dale, Franklin County, James Rive, Manchester and Riverbend.

Region 3: Annandale, Colgan, Fairfax, Forest Park, Freedom-Prince William, Gar-Field, Hayfield, C.D. Hylton, Lake Braddock, Mount Vernon, James Robinson, South County, West Potomac, West Springfield, T.C. Williams, Woodbridge and W.T. Woodson.

Region 4: Battlefield, Centreville, Chantilly, Herndon, Stonewall Jackson-Manassas, Langley, James Madison, McLean, Oakton, Osbourn, Osbourn Park, Patriot, South Lakes, Washington-Lee, Westfield and Yorktown.