We, the undersigned parents and citizens interested in the development of Ashland High School student athletes, hereby petition the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) to create a hybrid 5A-4A athletic league for Southern Oregon schools at its October 26, 2009 meeting. We believe creation of such a league has a number of valuable benefits for both Ashland and Southern Oregon student athletes: 1. It minimizes the travel time for student athletes and travel costs for all Southern Oregon school districts. 2. It creates leagues for Southern Oregon's 6A, 5A and 4A schools that are large enough to promote diverse competition. 3. It creates a league for Southern Oregon's only two 5A schools, Ashland and Eagle Point, that would allow them to play schools in their league that are much closer in their size than Southern Oregon's 6A schools, ensuring a more balanced and positive competitive experience for both Ashland and Eagle Point athletes. 4. It positively addresses the problems of the current OSAA proposal, whereby Ashland and Eagle Point would be placed in a league with five much larger 6A schools virtually guaranteeing an unbalanced athletic experience for both Ashland and Eagle Point student athletes. The currently proposed 6A-5A Southern Oregon Hybrid league is the only hybrid league in Oregon that would contain a majority of larger schools, with five 6A schools and two 5A schools. 5. It is consistent with demographic trends in Ashland that indicate that Ashland High School's enrollment will continue to decline so that it will become a 4A school within a few years. 6. It is consistent with resolutions passed by both the Ashland School Board and Ashland Athletics Booster Club who have addressed this issue at recent meetings. 7. It has been endorsed by 5 of the 6 4A schools in the currently proposed Skyline Conference (the league which Ashland and Eagle Point would join). 8. It is consistent with OSAA's stated mission to "provide EQUITABLE participation opportunities, positive recognition and learning experiences to students."

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