Hathaway Brown lists itself as Ohio’s second-oldest college prep school for girls. Located in Shaker Heights, it has been grooming girls in grades 1-12 since 1876.

It’s expensive, private and secular. The 16-acre campus in the Cleveland suburbs is open to anyone who can afford a high-end education. Need a tuition bump? An endowment of $41,095,187 is available.

Reside in the Miami Valley? This school’s for you. That’s a stretch, but possible because of its open enrollment policy.

What isn’t farfetched is labeling the Blazers a good bet to repeat as the Division II state basketball champions.

Should HB do that, it would be its fifth straight state title. And to do that, Hathaway Brown has cherry-picked some of the best players from a swath of “72 communities across Northeast Ohio,” according to its website.

That’s what home-grown Bellbrook was up against in the state semifinals in March.

That disparity in program potential is what Ohio High School Athletic Association Commissioner Dr. Dan Ross hopes to address with the latest version of the Competitive Balance Proposal. Voting among member principals began Tuesday and runs through May 15.

For Ohio high school sports, you’d find a more level playing field in the hills of Oakwood.

It doesn’t exist.

CBP passage — a majority vote is required — isn’t the final answer. It’s a start, insists Dr. Ross. Should it not pass, get used to Hathaway Brown and similar private programs having their repeated way as state champions.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.