The S.C. High School League on Friday released its new-look classifications that will be in effect for two years starting with fall sports in 2026.

Class 5A once again will be one single classification after being split into two divisions over the last two sports seasons. And Class A has 66 schools, the most of any classification. Class A is made up of the state’s smallest schools.

Biggest changes from realignment

Gray Collegiate is moving up to Class 5A. The War Eagles, a public charter program, were in Class 4A in the most recent realignment and in Class 2A before that. The War Eagles opened up a second campus in Irmo earlier this year.

Other big moves include:

Class 5A: South Florence is making the move from Class 4A to Class 5A.

Class 4A: Irmo , TL Hanna, Westwood, Catawba Ridge , Nation Ford and Gaffney are among the schools moving down from Class 5A to 4A. Legion Collegiate, in Rock Hill , is re-entering the SCHSL and will be in Class 4A.

Lake Wylie , which is opening in 2026, will be in Class 4A. Clover High , which is splitting to form Lake Wylie , also will be in Class 4A.

Class 3A: Schools dropping from Class 4A to 3A include Airport, Camden , Hartsville , Darlington , Lower Richland and Gilbert. Oceanside Collegiate, another powerhouse charter school, will stay in Class 3A.

Legacy Early College , located in Greenville , will be in Class 3A when it enters the league in 2026. Legacy, which doesn’t offer a full slate of sports, is ineligible for championships in its first year, but will be able to compete after that.

Class 2A: Schools dropping classification down to 2A include Mountain View Prep , Clinton , Keenan and Newberry .

Class A: Schools dropping from Class 2A into the new-look Class A include North Central, Fairfield Central, Hampton County , Eau Claire, Batesburg-Leesville , Marion and Mullins .

Below is a breakdown of each new class. Schools are listed in order of size and with total enrollment. And the SCHSL still uses a multiplier: Students from outside that school’s attendance zone are counted as three toward the enrollment.

Class 5A

1. Dorman High 2,9292. Summerville High 2,7293. Carolina Forest High 2,6354. James F Byrnes High 2,5475. Spring Valley High 2,3366. Boiling Springs High 2,1977. West Ashley High 2,1778. Wando High 2,1479. Mauldin High 2,14310. Lexington High 2,13211. Stratford High 2,08712. Ashley Ridge High 2,05613. James Island Charter High 2,01314. Wade Hampton High 1,96215. Cane Bay High 1,96116. River Bluff High 1,95817. West Florence High 1,87718. Fort Dorchester High 1,87119. Berkeley High 1,83020. Blythewood High 1,82921. Spartanburg High 1,81222. J L Mann High Academy 1,79323. Sumter High 1,76424. Rock Hill High 1,75325. Socastee High 1,75226. Hillcrest High 1,74727. R B Stall High 1,74028. Eastside High 1,71729. Dutch Fork High 1,70830. South Florence High 1,70831. Fort Mill High 1,68132. Woodmont High 1,67533. Gray Collegiate Academy 1,64034. Ridge View High 1,63035. Chapin High 1,62836. White Knoll High 1,61037. Northwestern High 1,57138. Goose Creek High 1,56639. Indian Land High 1,54040. Lucy Beckham High 1,458

Class 4A

1. T L Hanna High 1,5612. Conway High 1,5573. Nation Ford High 1,5344. Wilson High 1,5175. Gaffney High 1,5056. St. James High 1,4647. Fountain Inn High 1,4498. Greenwood High 1,4429. Lugoff Elgin High 1,41910. May River High 1,40711. Riverside High 1,39612. Westwood High 1,39213. North Myrtle Beach High 1,38614. Catawba Ridge High 1,37715. North Augusta High 1,37416. Irmo High 1,35617. Easley High 1,35418. Greenville High 1,34519. Westside High 1,33820. South Aiken High 1,29721. Midland Valley High 1,26722. South Pointe High 1,26123. Fox Creek High 1,25624. Richland Northeast High 1,25425. Dreher High 1,23526. Bluffton High 1,21627. Myrtle Beach High 1,19828. Travelers Rest High 1,19229. York Comprehensive High 1,19230. Aiken High 1,18831. Legion Collegiate Academy 1,17132. Greer High 1,14533. Lake Wylie High School 1,13234. Greenville Tech Charter Hi 1,11335. A.C. Flora High 1,10036. Laurens Dist 55 High 1,09137. Clover High 1,07538. Lancaster High 1,06239. Brookland-Cayce High 1,05840. Beaufort High 1,04441. Hilton Head Island High 98342. Colleton County High 981

Class 3A

1. Airport High 1,0422. Wren High 1,0303. D W Daniel High 1,0244. Greer Middle College 1,0225. Pickens High 9866. Lower Richland High 9827. Blue Ridge High 9748. Berea High 9669. Walhalla High 96010. Gilbert High 95511. Hartsville High 94512. Southside High 93313. Emerald High 92814. Brashier Middle College 92615. Crestwood High 90116. Camden High 89017. Hanahan High 88718. Aynor High 88119. Powdersville High 87720. Darlington High 87621. Legacy Early College 87322. Bridges Preparatory School 85323. Atlantic Collegiate Academy 84624. N Charleston High 84225. Palmetto High 83926. GREEN Upstate High School Greenville 83427. Seneca High 83128. Chapman High 82729. Oceanside Collegiate Academy 80530. Georgetown High 79731. Broome High 79432. Union County High 79133. Belton Honea Path High 78134. Lakewood High 77935. Christ Church Episcopal 77736. Bishop England High School 76337. Marlboro County High 76138. Pendleton High 75739. Swansea High 74540. Loris High 738

Class 2A

1. Charleston Charter Math /Science 7592. Battery Creek High 7363. Woodruff High 7234. Orangeburg Wilkinson High 7215. Carolina Academy (High) 7116. St. Joseph’s High 7097. Mountain View Preparatory 7038. High Point Academy 7019. Waccamaw High 69810. Clinton High 68611. Landrum High 67212. American Leadership Academy SC-Lexington 67113. Chesnee High 66614. Keenan High 66615. Horse Creek Academy 66516. West-Oak High 66217. Southside Christian School 66018. Philip Simmons High 65419. Crescent High 64220. York Preparatory Academy 60921. Newberry High 60722. Pelion High 60423. Strom Thurmond High 60424. Woodland High 60025. Silver Bluff High 59726. Dillon High School 59627. Andrew Jackson High 58828. Liberty High 58829. Academic Magnet High 57530. Columbia High 57231. Lake City High 57032. Manning High 56833. Timberland High 56434. Lake Marion High 55935. Saluda High 54836. Mid-Carolina High 54637. East Clarendon Middle-High 53238. Palmetto Scholars Academy 52539. Central High 51340. Chester Sr High 51141. Blacksburg High 492

Class A

1. Ninety Six High 4892. Hampton County High 4873. Fairfield Central High 4854. Kingstree High 4795. Barnwell High 4726. Buford High 4567. North Central High 4548. Batesburg-Leesville High 4539. Burke High 45310. Mullins High 44911. Edisto High 43912. Cheraw High 43713. Eau Claire High 43614. Marion High 43315. Riverwalk Academy 42816. Chesterfield High 41017. Latta High 40118. Andrews High 39319. Bamberg-Ehrhardt High 36520. Virtus Academy of South Carolina 36121. Abbeville High 34822. Whale Branch Early College 34323. Carvers Bay 34224. Dixie High 33125. Hannah- Pamplico 33026. Lee Central 32827. Ridgeland Secondary Academy of Excellence 32828. Johnsonville 32529. Lewisville High 32330. Green Sea Floyds 30531. Hardeeville 30532. St John’s High 30333. CA Johnson High 29734. Calhoun County 29635. Royal Live Oaks Academy of the Arts and Sciences 28236. McBee 26237. Baptist Hill 26138. Clear Dot Charter 24939. Ridge Spring-Monetta 24740. Thornwell Charter School 23241. Coastal High 23142. Wagener-Salley High 22043. Lake View High 21244. Lamar High 21145. Lowcountry Leadership Charter School 20946. Polaris Tech Charter School 19347. Ware Shoals High 19348. Whitmire 19349. Military Magnet Academy 18550. Scott’s Branch High 17951. Allendale Fairfax High 17752. Williston-Elko High 17653. Bethune-Bowman Middle /High 16354. Great Falls High 15855. Branchville High 15456. Cross 14557. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics 13858. Denmark Olar High 13659. Hemingway High 12360. McCormick High 11961. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High 11562. Blackville-Hilda High 10463. North Middle /High 9964. Midlands STEM Charter School 9665. Calhoun Falls Charter School 9466. SC School For the Deaf and the Blind High 44

What is realignment? Where are the new regions?

Realignment happens in the state every two years and attempts to level the competitive playing field among schools.

This year’s realignment is based on 45-day enrollment numbers from grades 9-11. This year’s formula also featured an out-of-zone multiplier for the second time. That multiplier took each student who lives outside of the school’s assigned attendance zone and counted them as three for total enrollment purposes.

During this year’s realignment, it also was decided that Class A (league’s smallest classification) would have the most teams in it, between 62 and 74 schools, with the chance of being split for sports that have more than 45 participating schools. Other classifications would between 36 and 44 schools.

Schools will have a chance to appeal their realignment next month. After that process is over, then region placement can occur. Schools then will be able to appeal region placement.

Any school wishing to appeal its classification placement to the SCHSL Executive Committee must submit it in writing by 1 p.m. on Jan. 7 . Appeals will be heard Jan. 13-14 . A second appeal, if necessary, would go before the Appellate Panel on Jan. 15-16 .

Region placements will be sent will be sent out Jan. 23 . Appeals to classification executive committee will be Feb. 3-5 and then to the SCHSL Executive Committee on Feb. 10 and Appellate panel on Feb. 12 .

December 19, 2025 | State, The: Web Edition Articles (Columbia, SC)
Author/Byline: Lou Bezjak, The State | Section: high_school