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IHSA makes proposal to settle lawsuit.

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Byline: Staff and Wire Reports

In an attempt to settle a lawsuit brought by 32 private schools, the Illinois High School Association offered Thursday to hold a binding referendum of its 751 member schools on its latest attempt to level the playing field for athletic competition, authorities said.

In Cook County Circuit Court, IHSA attorney David Bressler said the referendum would allow the schools to accept or reject the enrollment multiplier imposed this academic year on the private schools, which can draw students from larger areas than public schools with fixed boundaries.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs were expected to say Friday whether their clients would accept the compromise measure, said IHSA executive director Marty Hickman.

The plaintiffs contend the multiplier puts them at a disadvantage when they compete against public schools in state athletic tournaments.

But the rule, adopted by the IHSA Board of Directors in March, was put into place because the private schools were believed to be winning a disproportionate number of state championships.

Under the rule, private and public non-boundary schools with enrollments of at least 450 students must multiply their enrollment by a factor of 1.65 for the purposes of placing them into classes for state tournament play.

With the multiplier, 24 of the member schools - 17 private and seven public - were moved from Class A to Class AA, which represents the state's larger high schools. Nineteen schools appealed to remain in Class A, but only nine of them, including St. Edward in Elgin, were successful in their appeals.

The plaintiffs were also seeking a temporary injunction against the IHSA asking that the schools moved to Class AA this season be allowed to return...

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