The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association released its enrollment numbers for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years Friday.
The state’s athletic governing body breaks down the classification numbers by sport on its page.
Here’s a look at how the two-year enrollment numbers affect the six classifications for high school football in District 3:
CLASS 6A
School | Enrollment | 2019 Class | League |
Reading | 2,148 | 6A | Berks League |
McCaskey | 1,146 | 6A | L-L League |
Cumberland Valley | 1,078 | 6A | Mid-Penn |
Chambersburg | 1,078 | 6A | Mid-Penn |
Hempfield | 1,078 | 6A | L-L League |
Central York | 1,078 | 6A | YAIAA |
Dallastown | 1,078 | 6A | YAIAA |
Wilson | 1,078 | 6A | L-L League |
Manheim Township | 1,078 | 6A | L-L League |
York Tech | 1,078 | 6A | YAIAA |
Central Dauphin | 1,078 | 6A | Mid-Penn |
William Penn | 1,078 | 5A | YAIAA |
Penn Manor | 1,078 | 6A | L-L League |
Carlisle | 1,078 | 6A | Mid-Penn |
Harrisburg | 1,078 | 6A | Mid-Penn |
CD East | 1,078 | 6A | Mid-Penn |
Cedar Crest | 1,078 | 6A | L-L League |
Analysis: York High jumps up to join the district’s big boys after spending the last enrollment cycle rated as a 5A team. While the Bearcats are moving in, two former 6A teams — Red Lion and Lebanon — are dropping out. The Lions and Cedars will play in Class 5A for the next cycle.
CLASS 5A
Governor Mifflin | 582 | 5A | Berks League |
Red Lion | 582 | 6A | YAIAA |
Lebanon | 582 | 6A | L-L League |
Exeter Township | 582 | 5A | Berks League |
Cedar Cliff | 582 | 5A | Mid-Penn |
Warwick | 582 | 5A | L-L League |
Muhlenberg | 582 | 5A | Berks League |
Conestoga Valley | 582 | 5A | L-L League |
Elizabethtown | 582 | 5A | L-L League |
Waynesboro | 582 | 5A | Mid-Penn |
Mechanicsburg | 582 | 5A | Mid-Penn |
South Western | 582 | 5A | YAIAA |
Ephrata | 582 | 5A | L-L League |
New Oxford | 582 | 5A | YAIAA |
Northeastern | 582 | 5A | YAIAA |
Hershey | 582 | 5A | Mid-Penn |
Palmyra | 582 | 5A | Mid-Penn |
Solanco | 582 | 5A | L-L League |
Spring Grove | 582 | 5A | YAIAA |
Daniel Boone | 582 | 5A | Berks League |
Red Land | 582 | 5A | Mid-Penn |
Dover | 582 | 5A | YAIAA |
Gettysburg | 582 | 4A | YAIAA |
Lower Dauphin | 582 | 5A | Mid-Penn |
Twin Valley | 582 | 5A | Berks League |
Fleetwood | 582 | 4A | Berks League |
Manheim Central | 582 | 5A | L-L League |
Shippensburg | 582 | 5A | Mid-Penn |
York Suburban | 582 | 4A | YAIAA |
Anaylsis: Lots of new faces here for the next cycle. Cocalico, which captured the Class 5A title in this just-concluded season, is leaving for Class 4A, along with Northern York and Garden Spot. As we mentioned above, Red Lion and Lebanon are dropping down from 6A, while Gettysburg, Fleetwood, and York Suburban are jumping up from 4A. This remains the district’s most-populated classification, with 29 teams.
CLASS 4A
Northern York | 398 | 5A | Mid-Penn |
Milton Hershey | 398 | 4A | Mid-Penn |
Garden Spot | 398 | 5A | L-L League |
Cocalico | 398 | 5A | L-L League |
Greencastle-Antrim | 398 | 4A | Mid-Penn |
Lampeter-Strasburg | 398 | 4A | L-L League |
Susquehannock | 398 | 4A | YAIAA |
West York | 398 | 4A | YAIAA |
Donegal | 398 | 4A | L-L League |
Conrad Weiser | 398 | 4A | Berks League |
Octorara | 398 | 4A | L-L League |
Big Spring | 398 | 4A | Mid-Penn |
East Pennsboro | 398 | 4A | Mid-Penn |
James Buchanan | 398 | 3A | Mid-Penn |
Kennard-Dale | 398 | 4A | Mid-Penn |
Eastern York | 398 | 4A | YAIAA |
Eastern Lebanon County | 398 | 4A | L-L League |
Kutztown | 398 | 3A | Berks League |
Anaylsis: In addition to the teams listed above, Bishop McDevitt and Berks Catholic will join Class 4A on a voluntary basis, even though their enrollment numbers designate them as Class 3A programs. With the addition of those two, along with the arrival of Cocalico, Garden Spot and Northern Lebanon from Class 5A and James Buchanan and Kutztown, Class 4A’s numbers have swelled to 20 teams.
CLASS 3A
West Perry | 274 | 4A | Mid-Penn |
Northern Lebanon | 272 | 3A | L-L League |
Susquehanna Township | 270 | 4A | Mid-Penn |
Bishop McDevitt | 268 | 4A | Mid-Penn |
Hamburg | 264 | 4A | Berks League |
Boiling Springs | 255 | 4A | YAIAA |
Middletown | 255 | 3A | Mid-Penn |
Littlestown | 248 | 3A | YAIAA |
Schuylkill Valley | 243 | 3A | Berks League |
Wyomissing | 238 | 3A | Berks League |
Bermudian Springs | 232 | 3A | YAIAA |
Berks Catholic | 231 | 4A | Berks League |
Annville-Cleona | 221 | 3A | L-L League |
Hanover | 218 | 3A | YAIAA |
Lancaster Catholic | 212 | 3A | L-L League |
Pequea Valley | 205 | 2A | L-L League |
Biglerville | 196 | 3A | YAIAA |
Analysis: While BC and Bishop McDevitt are listed among the 3A programs, both teams voluntarily decided to play in Class 4A in the next cycle. Still, the addition of former 4A programs West Perry, Susquehanna Township, Hamburg, and Boiling Springs (along with Pequea Valley from Class 2A) gives this glass a net gain of two programs. Perennial contenders Middletown, Lancaster Catholic, Wyomissing and Littlestown will have their hands full with West Perry and Hanna. Some intriguing potential playoff matchups could lie ahead.
CLASS 2A
Trinity | 193 | 2A | Mid-Penn |
Susquenita | 189 | 3A | Tri-Valley |
Newport | 177 | 2A | Tri-Valley |
Columbia | 161 | 2A | L-L League |
Camp Hill | 160 | 2A | Mid-Penn |
York Catholic | 149 | 2A | YAIAA |
Upper Dauphin | 138 | 2A | Tri-Valley |
Analysis: PV moves up a class, while Steel-High and Delone Catholic drop down to Class 1A. Upper Dauphin will join forces with Millersburg as part of co-operative sports agreement and might wind up merging school districts, which would affect the Trojans’ enrollment numbers. As it stands, UD captured the Class 2A title last season in the Tri-Valley League’s swan song.
CLASS 1A
Steelton-Highspire | 129 | 2A | Mid-Penn |
Delone Catholic | 128 | 2A | YAIAA |
Fairfield | 125 | 1A | YAIAA |
Halifax | 106 | 1A | Mid-Penn |
Millersburg | 97 | 1A | Tri-Valley |
Analysis: Millersburg will be rolled into Upper Dauphin’s program, either as part of a co-op or in a school district merger. But the arrival of Delone and Steel-High gives the district’s small school class its two most likely title contenders.