Significant modifications to schools in the Foothill region scheduled for the 2026-2027 academic year
In a significant move, the ABC Unified School District (ABCUSD) has unveiled a sweeping proposal to restructure high school sports leagues, aiming to provide more competitive equity for each sport. The proposal, which was presented during a special board meeting on May 19, 2025, is set to take effect in the 2026-2027 academic year.
Seven area schools participated in a vote for this re-leaguing, which could result in significant changes for local teams. The vote, which occurred at the Whittier Union High School District office, saw six different proposals submitted, with Proposal C eventually being chosen with 34 votes.
The proposed new conference will potentially consist of the current 605 League, Del Rio League, Gateway League, and Mid-Cities League, forming a league with twenty schools. This could significantly reduce the distance Whitney's teams travel for league games, as they previously had to travel as far south as San Juan Capistrano or as far north as the San Fernando Valley.
One of the key benefits of the new conference is the potential for a more equitable distribution of schools in various sports. For instance, tennis is expected to see a more balanced distribution, with better opportunities for 'very high performing schools' to play other high performing schools and 'lower performing schools' to play more equitable schools.
Notably, Oxford Academy and Whitney do not field football programs, and El Rancho High will partner with schools currently in the Almont League and Mission Valley League. There is speculation that the 20-school league will most likely be divided into three leagues, but it could potentially be a four-league conference.
The new conference/leagues aim to address the need for geographical proximity, school size, and competitive balance, typical factors considered in high school athletics re-leaguing. However, the exact alignments or names of the new leagues have yet to be decided, with the number of leagues set to be determined next year and based on participation per sport.
The girls water polo team from Whitney, currently not in a league, will have the opportunity to be in a league with the new conference. Meanwhile, Dominguez High will move into another league not part of the Foothill Area.
For the most accurate and current information, it is recommended to check directly with the CIF Southern Section or the athletic directors of the Foothill Area schools involved, as they will release official re-leaguing decisions nearer the implementation date. The names of the new conference and/or leagues are expected to be revealed during the 2025-2026 school year.
Here are the sentences containing the given words: ["community news" and "education-and-self-development"] could cover a story about the impacts of the proposed high school sports league restructuring on local schools, discussing the potential benefits for academic programs such as championship opportunities for 'very high performing schools' in tennis or new educational challenges for less competitive schools in the league.
In addition, ["events" and "entertainment"] could focus on the updated schedule of sports events in the new conference, revealing the anticipated reduction in travel distances for teams like Whitney, while also highlighting anticipated changes to the league's event calendars and entertainment expectations surrounding these games.
