The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association will announce the 2008-2010 enrollment counts on Dec. 1, the first step in determining high school classifications for 2010-2012.

While the WIAA aims to create evenly sized classifications based on enrollment, the system could shift Bainbridge from 3A to 2A.

The reclassification will divide schools by 17 percent increments based on enrollment. The WIAA’s option to opt-up, however, skews the classifications.

Since early November, schools have had the opportunity to opt-up, or decide to compete in a higher classification. By opting up, a school is placed at the top of the classification in which it wants to compete, regardless of its enrollment. The Dec. 1 counts will reflect the opt-up schools, and schools that were in the classification based on enrollment will be shifted down.

If Bainbridge is classified in 2A, the school has the option of opting up to 3A by Dec. 15.

“The more schools that opt up into the 3A, they keep scooting the other schools down,” Bainbridge Athletic Director Annette Duvall said. “So logic would say if you’re going to be in a classification, it’s better to be toward the top of it than toward the bottom. That could be the difference of 100 kids or 600 kids in enrollment.”

Of the Metro’s 13 teams, 10 opted up for 2008-2010. Only Bainbridge, Holy Names and West Seattle compete in 3A due to enrollment.

As of Oct. 1, Bainbridge had 1,332 students. For the 2008-2010 classification, Bainbridge was in the top quarter of 3A schools with 1,224.87 students.

A new classification could mean different post-season competition, Duvall said.

“The post-season is designed to keep teams playing against like-sized schools,” Duvall said. “In the regular season, more and more leagues are starting to understand it’s probably a good idea to stay in a geographic reasonable league because it costs so much to run a high school program that you don’t want to drive further than you have to.”

The WIAA will finalize the 2010-2012 classifications on Jan. 6.