Dreher, Hilton Head Island classification appeals denied. Here’s the latest
Dreher and Hilton Head Island had their realignment appeals denied on Friday.
The South Carolina High School League’s appellate panel denied both schools’ requests to drop from Class 4A to 3A for the 2026-2028 school years.
The panel voted 5-0 to deny Dreher’s appeal. HHI’s request was voted down 4-1.
Friday was the final day of appeals being heard by the SCHSL’s appellate panel. Any cases being made came from schools that were unsuccessful in their initial appeals to the league’s executive committee.
Dreher, Hilton Head Island and all SCHSL schools will learn their region placements next week on Jan. 23.
After the appeals, the number of schools per classification are Class 5A (35), Class 4A (45), Class 3A (35), Class 2A (45) and Class A (70). Classes 2A-5A are below or above the parameters that were released by the realignment committee. According to the parameters, the committee wanted no more than 44 schools and no less than 36 per those classifications.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the SCHSL would resolve the issue. The parameters aren’t set in stone, and it is possible that they go with the number of schools that are in there.
Placing the school in 4A creates a “hardship,” said Dreher principal Joe Eberlin, who contended the Blue Devils are better-suited for Class 3A. Only 10 of the school’s almost 180 out-of-district students play athletics, he testified.
Dreher athletic director Daryl Jarvis also pointed out the team’s lack of success in 3A as compared with 4A. The football team dressed 25 players late in the 2025 season, he said, a disparity with other teams they faced.
“The appeal isn’t about an athletic advantage,” Jarvis said.
Dreher also talked about the extra travel time with playing region teams like South Pointe, York and Lancaster.
The SCHSL panel countered that Dreher could be put in a region with Midlands schools A.C. Flora, Richland Northeast, Westwood and Irmo. Dreher, with an enrollment number that factors in the multiplier, was the 25th largest of more than 40 schools in Class 4A.
“I don’t see much difference in any of the other cases,” appellate panel member Bob Davis said.
Hilton Head Island’s appeal was more based on its declining student population, and that its situation was similar to the case Lucy Beckham made Thursday. The appellate panel voted in favor of dropping Lucy Beckham from Class 5A to Class 4A.
Hilton Head principal Steve Schidrich said there were 3A schools larger than Hilton Head. The league countered that a HHI spot in 4A would help them in travel with local schools May River and Bluffton.
Placing Hilton Head in 3A would likely mean a region with Charleston-area schools Hanahan, Oceanside Collegiate and Bishop England.
“We are prepared for it,” Schidrich said. “On paper, we are a 4A school. But reality, we are a 3A school.”
Schidrich used a boxing analogy that they are a 150-pound boxer going up against 220-pounders.
The league and the panel countered with the success HHI had in the last year in 4A. Hilton Head finished fifth in Carlisle Cup standings in 4A, which is based on compilation of points throughout the sports.
HHI pointed out that they finished 16th the year before, and that other teams that finished higher than them this year were dropped to 3A.
Brookland-Cayce wins, Gray Collegiate loses appeals
The South Carolina High School League’s appellate panel on Thursday approved Brookland-Cayce’s appeal (5-1 vote) to move from Class 4A to Class 3A, while Gray Collegiate was denied (6-0) and will stay in 5A.
B-C narrowly lost its first appeal before the executive committee Tuesday, 9-8, but was able to win the second appeal.
Brookland-Cayce again made a case centered on possible travel and expenses — as well as a loss of classroom time — for being in Class 4A and a likely region with out-of-area teams. Meanwhile, four Class 3A schools would be within 35 miles of the school, B-C athletic director Louis Clyburn said.
“When everyone single one of our region games will be an hour and 15 minutes away, it makes it a challenge,” Clyburn said in his Thursday testimony. “... If you are playing a school in your county, you will have a lot of people in the seats.”
The move to 3A for B-C likely means the Bearcats land in a region with area teams such as Airport, Gilbert, Swansea, Lower Richland and possibly Camden.
Gray Collegiate, a public charter school in West Columbia, lost its first appeal (by a 9-5 vote on Tuesday) and was hoping to remain in Class 4A, where it was placed during the 2024-26 realignment.
Gray moved up from 2A to 4A in that last realignment and won state titles the last school year in track, competitive cheer and softball.
Gray principal Brian Newsome said Thursday during the school’s presentation that “our appeal is an extraordinary circumstance, plain and simple.”
Newsome contended that no school has had to move up three classifications like the War Eagles have done over the last two realignments. He also said it would be easy for the school to take B-C’s spot in 4A after the Bearcats won their appeal.
Gray reported an actual attendance figure of 610 (accounting for grades 9-11), but that is inflated to 1,640 with a multiplier that more heavily weighs students who attend the school from another attendance zone.
Gray football coach D’Angelo Bryant also pointed out smaller numbers on the football team as compared with other Class 5A schools.
“A school with enrollment of a Class 2A high school like Gray shouldn’t be asked to move up to the Class 5A level where every school is twice our size, some as many as four times as much as our enrollment,” Newsome said.
There are four schools in Class 5A with more than an enrollment larger than 2,500 (Dorman 2,929; Summerville 2,729; Carolina Forest 2,635; Byrnes 2,547) and 13 total with more than 2,000 students. Those numbers also factor in any student counted against the multiplier.
Appellate panel Otis Rawl agreed with Gray about the challenges of having to move up more than other schools but said the War Eagles were not on the fringe between classes. Gray, factoring in the multiplier, was 33rd of 40 schools in 5A in the original classification placement. Two schools (Wade Hampton and Indian Land) won appeals to go from Class 5A to 4A.
“You are down to 38 schools now and if you do that (move Gray), you are down to 37 schools and you’re dwindling the 5A classification down, whether you can do regions and conferences like they should be,” Rawl said.
Gray is likely to land in a 5A region with local schools Chapin, Lexington, White Knoll, River Bluff and Dutch Fork.
SCHSL Appellate Panel Decisions
(Will be updated throughout the day as appeals are heard.)
Friday
Dreher: Denied (5-0) to move from Class 4A to Class 3A.
Hilton Head Island: Denied (3-2) to move from Class 4A to Class 3A.
Greer Middle College: Approved (4-1) to move from Class 3A to Class 2A.
South Florence: Approved (3-2) to move from Class 5A to Class 4A.
West Florence: Approved (3-2) to move from Class 5A to Class 4A.
Blacksburg: Approved (5-0) move from Class 2A to Class A.
Pendleton: Approved (4-0) to move from Class 3A to Class 2A.
Brashier Middle College: Approved (5-0) move from Class 3A to Class 2A.
Thursday
Christ Church: Denied (6-0) to go from Class 3A to Class 2A
Eastside: Denied (5-1) to go from Class 5A to Class 4A
Brookland-Cayce: Approved (5-1) to go from Class 4A to Class 3A.
Gray Collegiate: Denied (6-0) to go from Class 5A to Class 4A.
Fox Creek: Denied (5-1) to go from Class 4A to Class 3A
Greenville Technical Charter: Approved (5-1) to go from Class 4A to 2A.
Legacy Early College: Denied (6-0) to go from Class 3A to Class 2A.
Bridges Prep: Approved (6-0) to go from Class 3A to Class 2A.
James Island Charter: Denied (6-0) to go from Class 5A to Class 4A.
Lucy Beckham: Approved (6-0) to go from Class 5A to Class 4A.
Realignment 2026-28
Here is list of schools and classes after the appeals were wrapped up on Friday.
Class 5A
1. Dorman High 2,929
2. Summerville High 2,729
3. Carolina Forest High 2,635
4. James F Byrnes High 2,547
5. Spring Valley High 2,336
6. Boiling Springs High 2,197
7. West Ashley High 2,177
8. Wando High 2,147
9. Mauldin High 2,143
10. Lexington High 2,132
11. Stratford High 2,087
12. Ashley Ridge High 2,056
13. James Island Charter High 2,013
14. Cane Bay High 1,961
15. River Bluff High 1,958
16. Fort Dorchester High 1,871
17. Berkeley High 1,830
18. Blythewood High 1,829
19. Spartanburg High 1,812
20. J L Mann High Academy 1,793
21. Sumter High 1,764
22. Rock Hill High 1,753
23. Socastee High 1,752
24. Hillcrest High 1,747
25. R B Stall High 1,740
26. Eastside High 1,717
27. Dutch Fork High 1,708
28. Fort Mill High 1,681
29. Woodmont High 1,675
30. Gray Collegiate Academy 1,640
31. Ridge View High 1,630
32. Chapin High 1,628
33. White Knoll High 1,610
34. Northwestern High 1,571
35. Goose Creek High 1,566
Class 4A
1. Wade Hampton High 1,962 - Approved to go from Class 5A to Class 4A
2. West Florence High 1,877 - Approved to go from Class 5A to Class 4A
3. South Florence High 1,708 - Approved to go from Class 5A to Class 4A
4. T L Hanna High 1,561
5. Conway High 1,557
6. Indian Land High 1,540 - Approved to go from Class 5A to Class 4A
7. Nation Ford High 1,534
8. Wilson High 1,517
9. Gaffney High 1,505
10. St. James High 1,464
11. Lucy Beckham High 1,458 - Approved to go from Class 5A to Class 4A
12. Fountain Inn High 1,449
13. Greenwood High 1,442
14. Lugoff Elgin High 1,419
15. May River High 1,407
16. Riverside High 1,396
17. Westwood High 1,392
18. North Myrtle Beach High 1,386
19. Catawba Ridge High 1,377
20. North Augusta High 1,374
21. Irmo High 1,356
22. Easley High 1,354
23. Greenville High 1,345
24. Westside High 1,338
25. South Aiken High 1,297
26. Midland Valley High 1,267
27. South Pointe High 1,261
28. Fox Creek High 1,256
29. Richland Northeast High 1,254
30. Dreher High 1,235
31. Bluffton High 1,216
32. Myrtle Beach High 1,198
33. Travelers Rest High 1,192
34. York Comprehensive High 1,192
35. Aiken High 1,188
36. Legion Collegiate Academy 1,171
37. Greer High 1,145
38. Lake Wylie High School 1,132
39. A.C. Flora High 1,100
40. Laurens 55 High 1,091
41. Clover High 1,075
42. Lancaster High 1,062
43. Beaufort High 1,044
44. Hilton Head Island High 983
45. Colleton County High 981
Class 3A
1. Brookland-Cayce High 1,058 - Approved to drop from Class 4A to Class 3A
2. Airport High 1,042
3. Wren High 1,030
4. D W Daniel High 1,024
5. Pickens High 986
6. Lower Richland High 982
7. Blue Ridge High 974
8. Berea High 966
9. Walhalla High 960
10. Gilbert High 955
11. Hartsville High 945
12. Southside High 933
13. Emerald High 928
14. Crestwood High 901
15. Camden High 890
16. Hanahan High 887
17. Aynor High 881
18. Powdersville High 877
19. Darlington High 876
20. Legacy Early College 873
21. Atlantic Collegiate Academy 846
22. North Charleston High 842
23. Palmetto High 839
24. Seneca High 831
25. Chapman High 827
26. Oceanside Collegiate 805
27. Georgetown High 797
28. Broome High 794
29. Union County High 791
30. Belton Honea Path High 781
31. Lakewood High 779
32. Christ Church Episcopal 777
33. Bishop England High School 763
34. Swansea High 745
35. Loris High 738
Class 2A
1. Greenville Tech Charter 1,113 - Approved to go from Class 4A to Class 2A
2. Greer Middle College 1,022 - Approved to go from Class 3A to Class 2A
3. Brashier Middle College 926 - Approved to go from Class 3A to Class 2A
4. Bridges Preparatory School 853 - Approved to go from Class 3A to Class 2A
5. GREEN Upstate High School 834 - Approved to go from Class 3A to Class 2A
6. Marlboro County High 761- Approved to go from Class 3A to Class 2A
7. Pendleton High 757 - Approved to go from Class 3A to Class 2A
8. Battery Creek High 736
9. Woodruff High 723
10. Orangeburg Wilkinson High 721
11. Carolina Academy (High) 711
12. St. Joseph’s High 709
13. Mountain View Preparatory 703
14. High Point Academy 701
15. Waccamaw High 698
16 .Clinton High 686
17. Landrum High 672
18. American Leadership Academy-Lexington 671
19. Chesnee High 666
20. Keenan High 666
21. Horse Creek Academy 665
22. West-Oak High 662
23. Southside Christian School 660
24. Philip Simmons High 654
25. Crescent High 642
26. York Preparatory Academy 609
27. Newberry High 607
28. Pelion High 604
29. Strom Thurmond High 604
30. Woodland High 600
31. Silver Bluff High 597
32. Dillon High School 596
33. Andrew Jackson High 588
34. Liberty High 588
35. Academic Magnet High 575
36. Columbia High 572
37. Lake City High 570
38. Manning High 568
39. Timberland High 564
40. Lake Marion High 559
41. Saluda High 548
42. Mid-Carolina High 546
43. East Clarendon Middle-High 532
44. Chester Sr High 511
Class A
1. Charleston Charter Math/Science 759
2. Palmetto Scholars Academy 525
3. Central High 513
4. Blacksburg High 492
5. Ninety Six High 489
6. Hampton County High 487
7. Fairfield Central High 485
8. Kingstree High 479
9. Barnwell High 472
10. Buford High 456
11. North Central High 454
12. Batesburg-Leesville High 453
13. Burke High 453
14. Mullins High 449
15. Edisto High 439
16. Cheraw High 437
17. Eau Claire High 436
18. Marion High 433
19. Riverwalk Academy 428
20. Chesterfield High 410
21. Latta High 401
22. Andrews High 393
23. Bamberg-Ehrhardt High 365
24. Virtus Academy of South Carolina 361
25. Abbeville High 348
26. Whale Branch Early College 343
27. Carvers Bay 342
28. Dixie High 331
29. Hannah-Pamplico 330
30. Lee Central 328
31. Ridgeland Secondary Academy of Excellence 328
32. Johnsonville 325
33. Lewisville High 323
34. Green Sea Floyds 305
35. Hardeeville 305
36. St John’s High 303
37. CA Johnson High 297
38. Calhoun County 296
39. Royal Live Oaks Academy of the Arts and Sciences 282
40. McBee 262
41. Baptist Hill 261
42. Clear Dot Charter 249
43. Ridge Spring-Monetta 247
44. Thornwell Charter School 232
45. Coastal High 231
46. Wagener-Salley High 220
47. Lake View High 212
48. Lamar High 211
49. Lowcountry Leadership Charter School 209
50. Polaris Tech Charter School 193
51. Ware Shoals High 193
52. Whitmire 193
53. Military Magnet Academy 185
54. Scott’s Branch High 179
55. Allendale Fairfax High 177
56. Williston-Elko High 176
57. Bethune-Bowman Middle/High 163
58. Great Falls High 158
59. Branchville High 154
60. Cross 145
61. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics 138
62. Denmark Olar High 136
63. Hemingway High 123
64. McCormick High 119
65. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High 115
66. Blackville-Hilda High 104
67. North Middle/High 99
68. Midlands STEM Charter School 96
69. Calhoun Falls Charter School 94
70. SC School For the Deaf and the Blind High 44
This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 11:40 AM.
