The New Area Code

In December 2022, the 209 area code will get a second area code. As of this writing (February 2022), we do not know what the new area code will be. However, we do know that there will be an overlay instead of a split. What that means is that the entire 209 area code region will have two area codes. Therefore, with everyone using cell phones now, two people in the same household could have two different area codes. There are advantages and disadvantages of both a split and an overlay, but that could be for a different blog. For this blog, what can be the first high school with the new area code. While that is impossible to predict, because it will have to be a new high school. What I am going to guess is which town will have the first high school with the new area code. I will give you my top 5 most likely cities based on population growth, what I have heard from reliable sources, rumors that I have heard, and just plain guesses based on a variety of factors. I am just guessing towns and not school districts. (For example, let’s say the Sylvan School District in Modesto decided to build a high school in Riverbank for its Riverbank students, then for this blog, I would list Riverbank as the town. By the way, that would not actually happen, though I can see a middle school in its future.) In addition, for high schools, I am only referring to traditional high schools, not private or charter. There are several sports pages and websites devoted to high school sports in “the 209”. I am curious as to what will happen when the new area code comes in and schools start getting the new area code. I am also curious as to what would have happened to their pages and websites if area codes still split, but we will never know the answer to that question. Well, regardless of what happens, here is my list of towns who may have a school with the new area code. Tracy (population 90,675) (3 high schools) Tracy currently has three high schools. Most of the city of Tracy is served by the Tracy Unified School District, but it also has two smaller school districts. I heard one of them wants to build a high school. The question is if it can find the available land. I believe it will soon be possible. So while Tracy Unified School District will still have three high schools, I believe the city will soon have four. Manteca (population 83,498) (3 high schools) First, I want to clear up some confusion. Manteca Unified School District has five high schools. In addition to the three that lie within the city limits, the district has Lathrop High School and Weston Ranch High School is in Stockton. At one time there were plans for a fourth high school to be built in the city of Manteca. In fact, it was supposed to be named South Manteca High School. I do not know why those plans fell through. As of this writing, there are currently no high schools south of the Highway 120 bypass. I predict there will be a school in that area soon. Salida (population 13,722) (0 high schools) This selection is a complete guess on my part; however, this guess is not entirely random. Last time I walked by Salida Middle School, there was a “for sale” sign on the empty land next to it. I have been wondering if the Salida Union School District planned on buying it. I believe Salida is the largest town in the 209 without a high school. In 2009, Gregori High School opened to serve citizens of both Northwest Modesto and Salida. Modesto is currently building homes on the north part of town and those students will likely attend Gregori. Therefore, Gregori will likely be large enough without the Salida students. The Salida Union School District could decide to build a high school and get attendance money from its high school students. Turlock (population 73,631) (2 high schools) A month ago I heard that Turlock is looking for land for a third high school. If what I heard was correct, the unfortunate news was that the original site the Turlock Unified School District had chosen had fallen through. I do believe that it will be a while before Turlock will get another high school. The city has almost 75,000 people and only two junior high schools. Turlock High School had an enrollment of nearly 4,000 before Pitman was built. Turlock can possibly finally build a third high school when businesses are given the new area code. Modesto (population 218,464) (7 high schools) It was hard to pick a fifth city. The reason I chose Modesto, because there is a section of town without a public high school. The southwestern part of the city does not have a public high school, though there is a private school. The students who live in Southwest Modesto are split into Gregori, Davis, Modesto, and Downey High Schools, depending on where one lives. The question is where the land will come from. As Modesto grows, perhaps there will be a school for each neighborhood. Honorable mention (in alphabetical order) Lodi (population 65,846) (2 high schools) Merced (population 82,662) (3 high schools) Patterson (population 22,066) (1 high school) Riverbank (population 24,842) (1 high school) Stockton (population 309,228) (8 high schools) Note: When the first new high school in this area is built, the new school may not necessarily get the new area code. Not many people know, but the 916 area code now has a second area code, 279. Two high schools have opened since the formation of the 279 area code, yet they both still have the 916 area code. Population figures are from wikipedia.org

The Big South Issue

One piece of advice from a teacher training exercise that I received was that if I am going to teach writing, I should practice it. I am going to take that advice. I will periodically write blogs about random subjects, mostly about sports. Most of these subjects will be those that very few people write about. My first subject will be about the state of the Big South Conference football. The Big South Conference is part of NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Last season there were nine teams. However, the conference was going to lose two of them when the ASUN announced that it was going to have football. Therefore, the Big South associate members, Kennesaw State and North Alabama would join, as they are full members of the ASUN. This week, full member Hampton and associate member Monmouth announced that they were going to join the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in July. Suddenly, the Big South found itself with five football-playing schools for the 2022 season. NCAA rules say that a conference must have at least six members. According to HBCU Gameday, the Big South can apply for a one-year extension to get a sixth member. It would be a wise idea, especially when the conference dropped to five members at practically the last-minute. I have a few ideas for a solution to the problem (I am sure the conference officials have many more). Idea number one, put pressure on Presbyterian to leave the non-scholarship, Pioneer Football League, and join the rest of its sports in the Big South. The second idea is to have the remaining Big South football teams merge with the Southern Conference teams to form one league for football only. If this move were to happen, it would not be unprecedented. In division II, the remaining three football-playing schools in the Great Northwest Conference (Central Washington, Simon Fraser, and Western Oregon) will merge with the mostly Texas-based Lone Star Conference beginning in the 2022-2023 season. My final idea is that the teams can align with the remaining MEAC teams. This possible solution has some problems, though. The primary issue is that the MEAC champion plays the SWAC champion in the Celebration Bowl. If this merger were to happen, would the top MEAC team still play the SWAC team? Would the top Big South/MEAC team from the merger play? That could defeat the purpose of the Celebration Bowl. Regardless of the decision the Big South makes, the conference officials need to make a move soon before it loses other programs.