School districts are changing again.

Tomball High School will be in a new district starting next school year. And while we’re moving to Class 5A, it’s not because we’re suddenly getting a lot bigger.

The state has added a new Class 6A, essentially bumping everyone up a notch. The big question, though, is what teams will be in the new district.

Two years ago, teachers and coaches were expecting to be aligned with closer schools such as Magnolia and Waller  because they are similar in size and fairly close. Instead, the school ended up partnered with schools in Fort Bend and Spring Branch.

“We will travel probably more than these past two years,” said Campus Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Danny Ramsey. “The reality is that many teams travel an average of an hour and a half to district games throughout the state.”

That doesn’t mean the school wouldn’t prefer to have competitors a bit closer.

“I would like to see us compete against Waller and the Magnolia schools,” Principal Greg Quinn said. “They are close and have been rivals in the past. It would be nice to rekindle some of those rivalries.”

Rivalries aside, there’s also the practical matter of having such long drives to district games today.

“I would like to see a new district,” Quinn said. “The travel to Fort Bend was very difficult because of the traffic and other things we had to deal with.”

As the district is changing, it’s not just the drive that may change. Each school has its own strengths and weaknesses in sports and academic competition, and every program on campus will have to evaluate how the changes will impact that program.

The new district alignments will likely be announced by the end of February.