An overwhelming majority of schools voted in a specially called meeting at the Marriott in Baton Rouge on Tuesday to approve the modification of the glossary definition of a select school that was made by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association executive committee more than a year ago.

It is reported that 259 out of 385 schools present voted yes to approve the definition put in place before the 2022-2023 school year.

A quorum of 203 out of 404 of the member schools was needed for the simple majority vote. 95 percent of member schools had a representative at the meeting.

“I wouldn’t say pleased would be the word,” LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine said to the media after the vote. “It is just that I think we worked hard to get to this point.

“First of all, I want to thank all of you for being here, and also I want to thank the 383, 385 representatives of schools that showed up today, which is probably one of the largest attendance in my tenure as executive director, including our annual convention. So that was very impressive, and then to garner the vote that we did, almost 67, 68 percent. Not only did we get the simple majority to pass what we needed to today, but we also got the two-thirds vote to do that as well. The member came in force. The membership has spoken, and we will continue to move forward with what we have in place.”

Those in attendance voted using paper ballots, which were then read aloud.

The special meeting was held in response to a lawsuit brought by nine schools — Rapides, Glenmora, Northwood, Plainview, Tioga, Buckeye, Neville, Carroll and Wossman —that claimed that the executive committed didn’t have the authority to make the definition change and that it should have been voted on by member school.

The lawsuit was filed in the 19th Judicial District at the end of July, and Judge Will Jorden issued a temporary injunction against the LHSAA on Aug. 21, leaving the possibility of the playoffs being delayed or forcing the format to change. The vote should satisfy the lawsuit and allow the postseason to go on as planned using last year’s format.

“That temporary (injunction) is still in place, but I think that at this point counsel will work with and submit paperwork with the other counsel to alive that particular order,” Bonine said. “I will let the legal side take care of that. I am not going to practice law without a degree.”

The Executive Committee changed the definition of a select school last year to any private, schools that have magnet programs, lab and charter schools or schools in districts that have open enrollment. The change almost balanced the number of schools in select and nonselect and created eight playoff divisions in football and 10 for basketball, baseball and softball.

The 2021-2022 definition for a select school included any private, full magnet, lab and certain charter schools.

The playoff split between select and nonselect schools started with football in 2013, then expanded to basketball, baseball and softball in 2017.