The UIL releases its reclassification enrollment numbers, and LBJ is smiling for sure

The UIL released enrollment figures for the state's high schools that will be used to determine its biennial realignment and reclassification in February, and a handful of Austin-area schools will be affected with moves up and down, including perennial power LBJ.

The realignment and reclassification will be in effect for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years. The district alignments will be announced Feb. 1 for football, basketball and volleyball. District alignments for other sports will be released later.

The UIL cutoff numbers for 2024-25

∙ Class 6A: 2,275

∙ Class 5A Division I: 1,903 to 2,274

∙ Class 5A Division II: 1,315 to 1,902

∙ Class 4A Division I: 957 to 1,314

∙ Class 4A Division II: 545 to 956

∙ Class 3A Division I: 369 to 544

∙ Class 3A Division II: 254 to 368

∙ Class 2A Division I: 181.5 to 253

∙ Class 2A Division II: 105 to 181.4

∙ Class A: 61.5 to 104.9

Impending changes for Austin ISD schools

Longtime local powerhouse LBJ will be shifted from Class 5A DII back down to Class 4A DI, a move that makes Jaguars football coach Joseph Rauls a happy man. LBJ has consistently had among the lowest enrollments in its athletic district but has been competing in Class 5A the past two years.

"We've been competing with schools that are two or maybe three times bigger than us as far as enrollments go," Rauls said Friday. "I think last year's team could have made a run for the state championship if we had been in 4A."

Also, Travis, Northeast and Eastside will compete in Class 4A beginning in August.

According to the University Interscholastic League numbers released Friday, the reported enrollment figures for those schools are LBJ, 773; Travis, 1,107.5; Northeast, 1,226; and Eastside, 694.

"I'm excited, anxious, a little bit of everything," Travis coach Joe Frank Martinez said. "We know about the schools in our district, but there is an unknown as to who else we'll be playing."

Anderson (2,167) will drop from Class 6A to 5A. That should be a good move for the Trojans from a competitive standpoint, given that they are currently locked in with state powers Westlake, Lake Travis and Dripping Springs in the same 6A district.

Impacts on other Austin-area schools

One school breathing a sigh of relief is Leander (2,270). All week, the Lions knew they were on the border between 5A and 6A. Some area coaches were surprised that the UIL will begin Class 6A at 2,275 students. Leander barely escaped being in a district with much larger schools such as Round Rock (3,882), Cedar Ridge (2,898), Stony Point (2,769) and Westwood (2,834).

Weiss (1,994) will drop from Class 6A to 5A. The Wolves had a fine season this year in 6A, going 9-2 in football, but suffered a 62-0 loss to Cedar Hill (2,635) in the first round of the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin-area high schools affected by UIL enrollment marks