For as long as any student can remember Wilsonville has been complacent within the 5A classification. To many student-athletes, this is perfect, as Wilsonville is consistently competitive within most sports, and is usually in the running for state titles.

This is evident as Wilsonville won three state championships last year– girls golf, girls soccer, and boys basketball– an extraordinary amount for any school. Although students are enjoying Wilsonville’s athletic excellence, some claim that it has gone too far. 

Wilsonville’s dominance over most 5A schools may have reached its limit and a move into 6A could be imminent. This is a complex debate as a move into 6A would cause massive ripple effects for the school. 

Firstly the idea of a 6A move would increase the competition to a degree that may be too grand for the school. “I don’t see us competing with schools like West Linn,” commented junior football player Maverick Summers. There is a general fear among student-athletes that a move to 6A will overwhelmingly damage their ability to compete for state titles.

This idea exists especially for some of Wilsonville’s smaller sports, “We’ve recently been struggling in 5A, I don’t want to know what 6A teams would do to us,” stated Sophomore boys soccer player Alex Aguiar. 

Although most students refute a transition to 6A the move may be inevitable. Rumblings among staff and students suggest that a move may happen as soon as 2025, with many of the teachers voting for this change to occur sooner rather than later.

Although the move isn’t set in stone yet, Riverside is a new high school being established in the WestLinn-Wilsonville school district. The idea behind it being to unite all members of the district, possibly drawing Wilsonville students into the new setting. If enough current or future WVHS students abandon the school, it could help bolster the case of keeping Wilsonville solidly in the 5A groupings.