York to maintain 4A status, Clover may rise to 5A

York Comprehensive High School athletic director Steve Boyd, a member of the South Carolina High School League’s executive committee, is familiar with how enrollment figures impacting school realignments every two years.

The S.C. High School League will take one more look at student enrollment figures in August before approving realignment for 2016-2018 that will include five classifications.

Boyd said ihe believes the steady growth at YCHS will continue, allowing the school to maintain its 4A status for years to come.

“Our high school enrollment has increased quite a bit the last three years,” said Boyd. “We’re approaching the 1,600 range and could exceed that total soon.”

However, Boyd said he believes the school will remain somewhere in the middle of the pack in 4A in the 2016-17 school year, when 5A classification gets green-lighted by the High School League.

“We will remain 4A and will not reach 5A classification,” said Boyd. “We’re not growing at the rapid pace of the Clover and Fort Mill school districts. But we’re showing steady growth and have passed a few 4A schools in statewide enrollment listings. Some schools have lost students in recent years.”

According to the most recent 135-day average daily attendance listings provided by the High School League, YCHS enrollment was 1,572, ranking 45th out of 213 schools listed from across the state.

Clover High School is listed as the 13th largest school in the state with an enrolment of 2,055 when the High School League’s 135-day enrollment tallies were made public.

A breakdown of Region 3-AAAA shows that Clover is the largest school in York County and the region, moving ahead of Gaffney, which showed student enrollment at 1,997. Rock Hill High School has an enrollment of 1,980.

Less than 100 students separate the next three schools in the region setup.

Fort Mill’s enrollment is 1,853, with Northwestern at 1,851. Nation Ford is number six in enrollment in Region 3 with 1,748 students, followed by York’s 1,572.

Clover High School athletic director Carroll Hester looks for CHS to rise to 5A in 2016-17. “Our school district constantly looks at growth rates and projections,” said Hester, who looks for Clover’s rapid growth rate to continue.

Boyd has embraced York Comprehensive’s 4A status from the outset when the school’s student enrollment began to climb.

“We feel good about our position in the 4A ranks,” said Boyd. “It is what it is and we will compete. We’ve got to continue to work to get better in all of our sports.”

YCHS head football coach Bobby Carroll concurs. “We will be fine wherever they put us,” Carroll said. “We will embrace the challenge.”

Other High School League student enrollment listings of interest to York and Clover fans include Sumter, the third largest school in the state at 2,878. The Cougars open the 2015 high school football season Aug. 21 at Sumter.

Westside, Clover’s season opening opponent Aug. 21 at home, has a student enrollment of 1,638.

South Pointe’s student enrollment is difficult to assess. Several years ago, York and South Pointe were almost dead even enrollment-wise. South Pointe has since dropped to 3A classification with an enrollment of 1,293, 279 fewer students than York.

Another area school, Lancaster, has joined South Pointe in the 3A ranks with an enrollment of 1,355. Union County County’s enrollment is less than Lancaster and South Pointe at 1,147.

Broome High School, coached by former Blue Eagle head football coach Jet Turner, has 930 students.

Clinton, like Union, a football power for decades, has an enrollment of 872. Lewisville and Great Falls are two heavyweights in the 1A ranks, with Lewisville’s enrollment at 365 and Great Falls at 231.

Wando is the largest school in the state with 4,065 students. Dorman, referred to as Dorman University by upstate fans, is the second largest with 3,219. Other top schools in size include Summerville, 2,878; Boiling Springs, 2,332; Sumter, 2,310; and Byrnes, 2, 299.

The smallest school in the state is High Point Academy High School with an enrollment of 24, according to High School League tallies.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 11:01 AM with the headline "York to maintain 4A status, Clover may rise to 5A."