MCBA has released the 2015 Flight Organization. Using the most current MHSAA school count numbers and the enrollment from the previous year, MCBA often attempts to make each flight as equal in participating bands as possible. Presently, that puts 14 bands in Flights II, III, and IV, and 13 in Flight I. If any bands join MCBA for the 2015 season, they will be put into the flight that matches their high school enrollment. Should any participating member leave, it may leave a flight with a vacancy (which is how Flight II in 2014 had only 12 participating bands).
Flight I includes schools with enrollments of 1,704 or higher. Flight II ranges between 1,703 and 1,123. Flight III falls between 1,122 and 680 students. Flight IV includes any schools with enrollments of 679 or less.
Several bands have over the years been in a case of being “on-the-bubble,” where they are often moved between two flights due to flight restructuring and various enrollment changes. For instance, Farmington and GR Northview were moved to Flight III last year, and find themselves back into Flight II this year. The biggest notice to the rearrangement is that multiple-time Flight III state champion, Ferndale, will be competing in Flight IV this year. This move will see some interesting changes to the competitions in Flights III and IV.
The current Flights include the following schools:
Flight I: Plymouth-Canton, Grand Blanc, Clarkston, Rockford, Lake Orion, Troy Athens, Novi, L’Anse Creuse North, West Bloomfield, Grandville, WL Lakeland, Walled Lake Central, and Hudsonville
Flight II: L’Anse Creuse, Livonia Franklin, Carman-Ainsworth, Milford, Jenison, Portage Northern, Wyandotte Roosevelt, Southgate Anderson, Flushing, South Lyon, Reeths-Puffer, FH Harrison, GR Northview, and Farmington.
Flight III: Byron Center, Redford Thurston, Mt. Pleasant, DeWitt, Linden, Cedar Springs, Stevensville Lakeshore, Fruitport, Edwardsburg, Sparta, Hazel Park, Marysville, MH Lamphere, and Comstock Park.
Flight IV: Allegan, Ferndale, SCS South Lake, Muskegon Orchard View, Belding, Godwin Heights, Grant, Newaygo, Parchment, Durand, Columbia Central, Watervliet, Kent City, and Burton Atherton.