UIL Realigns Districts

After the UIL district realignment approval Feb. 20, El Paso districts will be impacted. Class 5A moves up with the addition of Class 6A for the start of the 2014-15 season. The other classes under 5A move up as well.

“I don’t think it will have any affect on our team,” varsity football coach Jesse Perales said. “Bel Air is now in our district and we plan to prepare for them like we do for everyone else.”

Bel Air is dropping to Class 5A and will be placed into District 2-5A with Horizon, Eastlake, Hanks, Parkland, Riverside, Ysleta, and Del Valle High Schools. Canutillo High School is in the same class, but has been moved from District 2-5A to District 1-5A which includes El Paso, Andress, Austin, Bowie, Burges, Chapin, Irvin, and Jefferson High Schools according to a post by vype.com.

Bel Air’s previous district is now District 1-6A and Americas, Coronado, Eastwood, El Dorado, Franklin, Montwood and Socorro make up this district for the 2014-15 season. While the realignment affects everyone it will only affect the football and basketball seasons for 2014-15 and 2015-16.

“We lost some very good seniors but that happens every year. Till then the 2014 season should be a fun year,” Coach Perales said.

With the new realignment some schools have more competition than they had in previous seasons. Canutillo High School now faces Andress, Bowie, and other top 1-5A schools.

Texas district reclassification has added 6A district schools to the list.

As school enrollment increases or decreases a school is realigned to move up or down according to the population of the school.

District 6A is set to a population of 2100 students or above, while 5A is 1060 to 2099, 4A is 465 to1059, 3A is 220 to 464, 2A  is 105 to 219, and 1A is 104.9 and below.

The next realignment is in two years.

“Gaining Bel Air brings a new fresh face to the district,” Coach Perales said. “When the time comes to play them we’ll introduce them to Del Valle Football.”