Deerfield-Windsor will stay in GISA - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

Deerfield-Windsor School will not join its Macon rivals in GHSA.

The school's Board of Trustees voted this evening to stay in GISA.

It's a stunning decision since many felt Deerfield-Windsor would join Mount de Sales, Stratford and Tattnall Square in moving to the GHSA in two years.

Parents and school officials though were concerned about the fact there are no private schools currently competing in the GHSA that are close to their campus.

"Some of the comments that we heard from parents and from board members is that we are an independent school, an independent college preparatory school, and that we want to compete against other independent college preparatory schools," DWS Headmaster Dave Davies said when reached by phone.

Davies says the school will keep its study group on the issue intact, and he hopes to convince some former GISA members who have jumped ship to return.

Here is a statement from the school:

"After much consideration, the Deerfield-Windsor School Board of Trustees has voted to continue our association with the Georgia Independent School Association for athletic and literary competition for the next two-year cycle.

The Board considered all seventeen varsity sports, one-act play, and literary competition in making its decision. Parents and head coaches were surveyed, and a Study Group examined possible Regions and Areas as well as our likely competitive situation in each activity.

Board Chair Mark Lane said, "Deerfield-Windsor is in a unique geographical location for an independent school.  Although there are numerous GISA member schools nearby, the nearest GHSA independent school is 80 miles away.  We are a private school and believe that the GISA serves our overall needs at this time.  We will continue to monitor our competitive situation over the next two years, and the Board will again consider our membership in 2015."

DWS Headmaster Dave Davies commented that, "we are concerned about all of the uncertainties in the GHSA at the present time.  The public/private split is less than a year old and is tenuous at best, talk of a possible enrollment multiplier has been considered by State legislators, and our Region cannot be determined. In many of our athletic and literary programs, the level of competition in the GISA is more than sufficient to challenge our athletes and students.  In those sports where we are more dominant, we will work harder to find opponents, including those out of state, who will challenge our teams."