Looking Ahead to 2014 UIL Realignment: What Could Be In Store For East Texas

The 2013-14 school year will be the last of the current UIL alignment, meaning the next several months may be the final year for some East Texas schools in their present classification.

The previous realignment brought heavy changes to the area. Lindale moved up to Class 4A, Kilgore dropped to 3A, Mineola moved up a class to 3A, Palestine Westwood dropped to 2A, Garrison and Hawkins jumped up to 2A and Harleton, Joaquin and San Augustine fell to 1A.

There could be even more change in store for East Texas this February when the UIL will re-class and realign its member schools.

Last October, the UIL passed legislation to create a Class 6A for the 2014-16 realignment. From all indications, 6A would basically constitue what exists at the 5A level currently as the UIL plans to split 1A Division I and 1A Division II into two separate classifications.

However, the cutoff numbers for each classification are expected to change more drastically than in years past.

Tyler Lee turned in an enrollment of more than 2,600 in 2012, which eclipsed the 4A cutoff by more than 500 students. Longview and Lufkin were much closer to the cutoff, and could be subject to the new 5A-6A number.

The UIL also passed a referendum ballot for 3A superintendents to vote on whether to split 3A into two divisions like 2A and 1A. If a split is voted through, it would be in effect for the 2014-16 alignment.

2012-2014 UIL Enrollment Figures

(2012 cutoff per classification in parenthesis)

Class 5A (2,090 + above)

• Tyler Lee -- 2,621
• Longview -- 2,165
• Lufkin -- 2,127

Class 4A (1,005-2,089)

• Texas High -- 1,956
• John Tyler -- 1,873
• Nacogdoches -- 1,765
• Mount Pleasant -- 1,498
• Marshall -- 1,430.5
• Whitehouse -- 1,386
• Hallsville -- 1,274
• Pine Tree -- 1,215
• Jacksonville -- 1,171
• Sulphur Springs -- 1,160
• Lindale -- 1,114

Class 3A (450-1,004)

• Kilgore -- 964.5
• Chapel Hill -- 961
• Athens -- 917
• Henderson -- 888
• Brownsboro -- 870
• Palestine -- 802
• Carthage -- 741
• Liberty-Eylau -- 730
• Jasper -- 729
• Pittsburg -- 660
• Van -- 655
• Gilmer -- 631
• Center -- 624
• Bullard -- 606
• Pleasant Grove -- 593
• Gladewater -- 586
• Canton -- 584
• Rusk -- 569.5
• Huntington -- 544
• Spring Hill -- 506.5
• Diboll -- 502
• Atlanta -- 498
• Mineola -- 453

Class 2A Division I (298-449)

• Palestine Westwood -- 448
• Tatum -- 448
• White Oak -- 414.5
• Mount Vernon -- 408
• Winnsboro -- 394
• New Boston -- 390
• Eustace -- 380
• Redwater -- 362
• Harmony -- 358
• Quitman -- 357
• Daingerfield -- 356
• Crockett -- 351
• Hooks -- 347
• Jefferson -- 342.5
• Elkhart -- 339
• Sabine -- 339
• Woodville -- 338
• Queen City -- 318
• Troup -- 317
• Malakoff -- 310
• Grand Saline -- 307
• Newton -- 300

Class 2A Division II (200-297)

• New Diana -- 294
• Paul Pewitt -- 293
• Winona -- 290
• Elysian Fields -- 288.5
• Hughes Springs -- 288
• Edgewood -- 279
• Arp -- 278.5
• Corrigan-Camden -- 277
• Hemphill -- 267
• Alba-Golden -- 264
• Linden-Kildare -- 259
• West Rusk -- 257.5
• Union Grove -- 238
• Waskom -- 234
• Ore City -- 218
• Como-Pickton -- 213
• Hawkins -- 213
• Frankston -- 206
• Groveton -- 204
• Garrison -- 201

Class A Division I (151-199)

• Cayuga -- 199
• Joaquin -- 199
• Big Sandy -- 198
• Shelbyville -- 195
• Simms Bowie -- 194
• Harleton -- 184
• San Augustine -- 183
• Cross Roads -- 180
• West Sabine -- 177.5
• Carlisle -- 174
• Alto -- 171
• Cushing -- 168
• Beckville -- 160
• Timpson -- 160
• Grapeland -- 154

Class A Division II (up to 150)

• Overton -- 150
• Tenaha -- 124
• Mount Enterprise -- 115
• Union Hill -- 97

Six-Man Division I (up to 150)

• Fruitvale -- 93
• Oakwood -- 59
• Leverett's Chapel Hill -- 55

Six-Man Division II (up to 150)

• Trinidad -- 44.5
• Karnack -- 44