UIL Announces Cutoff Numbers for New Class 6A + Other Divisions Ahead of Realignment

Tyler Lee will be East Texas' only member of the new Class 6A after the University Interscholastic League released its cutoff numbers for each classification Monday morning.

The newly formed Class 6A will be for schools with at least 2,100 students, meaning Tyler Lee will no longer share a district with any of its former rivals. Longview turned in an enrollment of 2,063 students on "Snapshot Day" in October, while Lufkin was 12 students under the cutoff at 2,088.

Longview and Lufkin join John Tyler, Nacogdoches, Marshall and Texas High as schools that once shared a district with Tyler Lee, which turned in an enrollment of 2,547 students on Snapshot Day.

This means Tyler Lee will join a district comprised entirely of DFW Metroplex schools when the new realignment is announced in February 2014.

Longview and Lufkin will remain 5A, but the Lobos and Panthers will be joined by a host of other East Texas schools that are currently 4A. These schools include: Hallsville, Jacksonville, John Tyler, Lindale, Marshall, Mount Pleasant, Nacogdoches, Pine Tree, Sulphur Springs, Texas High and Whitehouse.

This sets up the possibility of two East Texas 5A districts, although there still lies the chance of Nacogdoches and Lufkin playing in Southeast Texas districts, like Lufkin has in the past in 5A.

The cutoff numbers will be in effect until the 2016 realignment. Here are the complete cutoff numbers announced Monday by the UIL:

• Class 6A: 2,100 students and above
• Class 5A: 1,060-2,099
• Class 4A: 465-1,059
• Class 3A: 220-464
• Class 2A: 105-219
• Class 1A: 104.9 and below

Football in Classes 1A to 4A will be divided into two divisions. Here are the cutoff numbers for those divisions:

• Class 4A Division I: 686-1,059
• Class 4A Division II: 465-685
• Class 3A Division I: 315-464
• Class 3A Division II: 220-314
• Class 2A Division I: 158-219
• Class 2A Division II: 105-157
• Class A Division I: 55-104.9
• Class A Division II: 54 and below

Kilgore will be East Texas' largest school in the new Class 4A. The Bulldogs had 1,026 students on Snapshot Day, only 34 students from jumping an entire class to 5A.

Kilgore will join several other of East Texas' top football programs in 4A Division I, where we could see the new version of the District of Doom.

Other 4A Division I football schools will include: Athens, Brownsboro, Carthage, Chapel Hill, Henderson, Jasper, Liberty-Eylau, Palestine, Pittsburg, Van. Jasper turned in exactly 686 students.

That leaves the possibility of a new district comprising Athens, Brownsboro, Carthage, Chapel Hill, Henderson, Kilgore, Palestine and Van.

Although at this point, anything is a guessing game.

Gilmer, which turned in 685 students, will be in the new Class 4A Division II by one student. The Buckeyes will join schools such as Atlanta, Bullard, Center, Diboll, Gladewater, Pleasant Grove Rusk, Spring Hill and Tatum.

One possible district could include Gilmer, Atlanta, Gladewater, Pittsburg, Pleasant Grove, Spring Hill and Tatum.

Class 3A Division I will include programs such as Daingerfield, Elkhart, Eustace, Harmony, Jefferson, Malakoff, Mineola, Mount Vernon, New Boston, White Oak and Winnsboro.

Schools headed to 3A Division II include: Alba-Golden, Arp, Edgewood, Elysian Fields, Garrison, Hooks, Hughes Springs, Linden-Kildare, New Diana, Newton, Paul Pewitt, Queen City, Troup and Waskom.

Class 2A Division I will include: Alto, Beckville, Cayuga, Harleton and Hawkins, while Overton and Tenaha will be among Class 2A Division II schools.

Again, the separate divisions are for football only.

The UIL will announce its new realignment in February.