IHSAA football classification changes approved, set to begin in 2023-24 school year

(ABC 6 News) – The Iowa State Board of Education approved the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) football classification changes on Thursday.

At the start of the 2023-24 school year, the IHSAA will consider socioeconomic factors in regards to scheduling and redistricting its football classes.

The IHSAA classification committee passed the amendment with 80% of it’s members voting “yes.”

RELATED: IHSAA advances vote on classifying football teams in part to socioeconomic factors

Each school will factor how many kids are enrolled at a school, also called their BED enrollment, and they will take the percentage of those kids that receive free or reduced lunch and multiply that by 40%.

That number is then subtracted from the schools’ BED enrollment and that will give the school their classification number. The IHSAA will then use that number to update redistricting and scheduling during the offseason.

“We appreciate the State Board of Education’s diligence and careful consideration of the proposal our membership has asked us to implement,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said. “This classification model is an important first step in addressing competitive equity in the sport of football.”

The IHSAA will release updated BED numbers, free or reduced lunch percentages from the Iowa Department of Education, new district and group assignments, and new schedules this offseason.

For more information on the IHSAA and the classification process, CLICK HERE.