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GHSA places schools in new classes for 2026-27

Marist, Westminster, Benedictine could join Class 4A-2A Private division; Creekside, Jefferson among 56 slated to move up
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8 hours ago

The Georgia High School Association placed its 454 member schools into seven classifications on Monday in preparation for the 2026-27 school year. Fifty-six schools are slated to go up in class, while 46 can go down.

Arabia Mountain, Seckinger, Kennesaw Mountain and Northgate were placed in the highest classification.

Other notable schools pegged to move up in classification are Creekside, the No. 1 football team in Class 4A; Jefferson, the Class 3A football runner-up last season; and Toombs County, the reigning Class A Division I football champion.

Bigger private schools Marist, Westminster and Benedictine are eligible to play in the private playoff division starting in 2026. So are Pace Academy and Eagle’s Landing Christian, all schools that currently compete in Class 4A. It’s doubtful that all will take that route. Marist, particularly, has opted to play in higher classifications.

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The seven classes are the same as in the current cycle, but they have new names. Class A’s divisions I and II will become Class 2A and Class A. The highest classification, currently called 6A, will become Class 7A.

The GHSA will continue to separate private schools in classes 3A, 2A and A (4A, 3A and 2A in 2026) into their own playoff division known as 4A-2A Private, though they will compete with public schools in the regular season.

Schools may appeal until Sunday at noon. Appeals hearings will begin 10 a.m. Monday. When those appeals are done, the GHSA will place schools into regions. The GHSA has eight regions in each classification.

Classification is determined by enrollment, with students living out of their attendance zones counted twice.

Below are the schools and their new classes.

The numbers are enrollment / out-of-zone enrollment / enrollment plus out-of-zone enrollment times two.

In parentheses to the right, when applicable, is the number of classes that a school is slated to move up or down. Note that because of classification name changes, a school that moves to Class 5A from 3A is shown as +1, as that is a effectively a one-class jump.

Class 7A

Class 6A

Class 5A

Class 4A

Class 3A

Class 2A

Class A

About the Author

Todd Holcomb has been a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1985. He is currently co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.

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