Alabama Lt. Governor Blasts AHSAA's Public And Private School Split

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth offered sharp criticism Friday following the announcement by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) has approved significant changes to the structure of its high school state championships regarding public and private schools.

As Patch reported on Friday, the AHSAA said public schools will compete in six classifications, 1A through 6A, with the AHSAA doing away with its 7A classification, which was first introduced in 2014.

Private schools will be placed into two postseason classifications: Class 1A and Class 2A. Class 2A will include the 17 largest private schools by enrollment, while the remaining private schools will compete in Class 1A.

Click here to learn more about the approved reclassifications.

The Republican lieutenant governor has been a vocal opponent of the proposed changes due to the AHSAA’s interpretation of the CHOOSE Act, which went into law in 2024 and created education savings accounts that provide taxpayer funds in the form of vouchers to students who choose to attend participating private schools.

Ainsworth said in September that the AHSAA had declared "itself above the law," saying the proposed changes were symptomatic of a bigger problem regarding a lack of accountability.

During a press conference on Friday, AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon said private school leaders had requested greater financial flexibility and a more straightforward classification system.

This means that funds from the CHOOSE Act will no longer impact athletic eligibility.

He also said the AHSAA will eliminate the enrollment multiplier and competitive balance adjustments previously applied to private schools.

Ainsworth took to social media following the press conference to say that he had been hearing from several public schools that the new AHSAA plan did not create the competitive balance they were hoping for.

"It’s apparently adversely affecting both public schools and private schools alike," he said.

Ainsworth then said that rather than allowing CHOOSE Act students to retain their eligibility, as the law requires, Harmon and the AHSAA have opted to "segregate our public and private schools, which is punitive, wrong, and just plain hateful."

"I’m confident that AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon and the governing board will be remembered for extinguishing the flame of competitiveness and abandoning any effort at simple fairness and good sportsmanship under their watch," Ainsworth said. "The coaches participating in this boneheaded decision care only about winning championships, not about the high school athletes they are supposed to serve, the lessons about sportsmanship they are supposed to teach, and the simple respect and dignity that students and their parents deserve."

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