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CHAPEL HILL – High school coaches and athletic directors across the state are getting their first look at what conferences their schools may be in starting in the fall of 2025.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) released their initial draft of proposed conference members, as part of the upcoming four-year realignment period (2025-2029).

The NCHSAA previously approved doubling the number of classifications, expanding from four to eight, based on student enrollment.

The smallest classification (1A) is comprised of 58 schools; Classes 2A through 7A each have 59 schools. The largest classification (8A) is proposed to have 32 member schools.

The NCHSAA has proposed several “split” conferences, where schools, close in regional proximity, are of various classifications. That proposal affects two of the Roanoke-Chowan area’s five public high schools as follows:

A split 1A/2A conference comprised of KIPP Pride in Gaston (1A), North East Carolina Prep (1A), North Edgecombe (1A), Rocky Mount Prep (1A), Southeast Halifax (1A), Washington County (1A), Weldon (1A), Northampton County (2A), and Northwest Halifax.

A split 3A/4A/5A conference comprised of Hertford County (3A), Martin County (3A), Northeastern (3A), Pasquotank County (3A), First Flight (4A), and Currituck County (5A).

Both Bertie High School and Gates County High School are classified as 2A. The NCHSAA proposes they will be members of the same conference along with four other 2A schools: Camden County, John H. Holmes, Manteo, and Perquimans.

The next step in the realignment process involves public school administrators giving feedback to the NCHSAA regarding these proposed conferences.