Caney Creek, Paetow moving to 6A

The University Interscholastic League on Wednesday released the conference cutoff numbers for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 realignment, and some Houston-area schools will be moving up.

The cutoff for 6A is 2,225 students and above. The 5A range is 1,300-2,224, and 4A is 545-1,299. Those numbers are for all sports aside from football, where 5A and below are divided into divisions.

The numbers for 5A Division I are 1,225-2,224, while Division II will be 1,300-1,924. The 4A Division I numbers are 8801,299, and the Division II numbers are 545-879.

One of the most notable moves, although expected, is Paetow making the jump from Class 5A to 6A. The school submitted an enrollment number of 3,169 students. That means all nine Katy ISD high schools will compete in the state’s largest classification. Paetow opened in 2017.

Hightower is also moving up to 6A after submitting an enrollment number of 2,365. The Hurricanes will join fellow Fort Bend ISD schools Austin, Bush, Clements, Dulles, Elkins, Ridge Point and Travis in the top class.

Conroe ISD will have all six of its high schools in Class 6A with Caney Creek moving up. The school reported an enrollment number of 2,342.5. The Panthers join The Woodlands, Conroe, College Park, Grand Oaks and Oak Ridge, which were all aligned in a six-team district with Willis for 2020-21 and 2021-22.

“I think it’s going to be good for the school,” Caney Creek football coach Kendall Hineman said. “It will get people to come out there and see all the great things we’ve got going on at Caney Creek. We’re up to the challenge. I’m fired up to go toe to toe with all the great coaches we have in the district. I think it will be good for the community having Conroe versus Caney Creek. Anything we get together in is a good battle.”

Also in Montgomery County, New Caney will be moving up to 6A after submitting an enrollment number of 2,271. Fellow New Caney ISD school Porter will remain in 5A, and the new West Fork High School will have freshmen only for 2022-23.

“We were expecting that there would be a good chance that we were going up to 6A,” New Caney football coach Travis Reeve said. “It’s a growing area.”

The complete list of school enrollment numbers and conference cutoff numbers can be found at uiltexas.org.