Bridgeport wins WIAA approval to play 1B sports

“The free-and-reduced lunch data allowing 2B schools to opt down to 1B narrowly squeaked by the necessary 60 percent needed for approval,” said Bridgeport district athletic director Scott Darwood in a May 11 email “We had to have 21 votes statewide and we garnered 24, barely passing but passing nonetheless.”

While the new rules will not take effect until the next classification cycle of 2024-2028, Darwood said District 6 2B and 1B athletic directors have agreed to allow Bridgeport play an intermediary transition schedule for the next season and possibly for the next few seasons.

“Hopefully in using the free-and-reduced lunch data to opt down to 1B permanently, it will help us generate more student athlete interest to turn out,” said Darwood, “and help us to salvage and strengthen some of our struggling programs.”

Specifically, the ruling will allow Bridgeport’s 2B 8-man football team to compete in the new Central Washington B 8-man league comprised of Pateros, Waterville-Mansfield, Liberty Bell, Entiat, and Soap Lake.

Girls volleyball and both boys and girls basketball will play a 1B schedule in the 1B league.

“If any of these athletes make it as an All-League selection, they would earn a 1B certificate,” said Darwood. “If we finish in the top four of the 1B league standings we would qualify in making the 2B districts but at a lower, yet undetermined seed.”

Cross-country and girls soccer will remain in 2B. A determination for spring sports including boys soccer, track and field, baseball and softball was still pending when the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated the 2020 spring season. When sports do resume, the newly expanded 10-team CWB 1B league will include Bridgeport, Pateros, Waterville-Mansfield, Soap Lake, Entiat, Cascade Christian Academy, Moses Lake Christian Academy, Wilson Creek, Easton, and Riverside Christian Academy (Yakima).

For the first time, the WIAA allowed school free and reduced lunch counts to be factored into the school reclassification mix. The benchmark was that any school whose free-and-reduced lunch rate exceeded the statewide average of 45 percent could have its enrollment number reduced in proportion for each percent that it exceeded the statewide average.

“At Bridgeport, we have one of Washington state’s highest unemployment rates, and one of the highest poverty levels,” said Darwood earlier this year. “Our Bridgeport High School free-and-reduced lunch data rate is an astounding 95 percent.”