Question: How are the bands classified now? When I was in band from 93 to 97 it was based on how many are on the field.
Answer: Bands competing in KMEA are now classified by a hybrid system.
Band Classification:
A marching band’s classification will be dependent upon two components.
1. School size component
A. KMEA will determine the sizes of Kentucky high schools for the past two years as supplied by the Kentucky Department of Education, then calculate each school’s two-year average.
B. All bands that were enrolled in the State Marching Band Championships for either or both of the previous two years will be sorted by school size, and divided into five equal-number groups. If there is a remainder of one, it will be added one to the group containing the smallest schools; if there is a remainder of two, one band will be added to each of the two groups containing the smaller schools, and so forth.
C. 1 point will be awarded to bands in the group containing the smallest schools, 2 points to the bands in the group containing the next larger schools, and so forth.
2. Band size component
A. By August 15 KMEA will collect band sizes (number of student musicians) from band directors who wish to enroll their band for 2019, sort these bands by band size, and divide them into five
equal-number groups. If there is a remainder of one, it will be added to the group containing the smallest bands; if there is a remainder of two, one band will be added to each of the two groups
containing the smaller bands, and so forth. All bands must update their numbers if they change.
B. KMEA will provide a means to request an exception to policy if an increase in band size would change the band’s classification, such as verification from the principal that the student is new to
the school.
C. 1 point will be awarded to bands in the group containing the smallest bands, 2 points to the bands in the class containing the next larger bands, and so forth.
D. If it becomes necessary to equalize the groups by placing two bands with an equal number of students in adjacent classes, the band from the larger of the two schools will be assigned an
additional point for band size.
E. KMEA will add the points assigned to each band due to its school size group and its band-size group, and classify the band according to the following formula—
i. 2–3 points = 1A
ii. 4–5 points = 2A
iii. 6–7 points = 3A
iv. 8–9 points = 4A
v. 10 points = 5A (A 5A band will be one that accumulates 10 points, i.e., will be in the top 20% of bands by school size, and the top 20% of bands by band size.)
3. Each year this procedure will recur, and new classification boundaries will be established.