# Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools

The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, or TAPPS, is an organization headquartered in the Lone Star Tower at Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas. It was formerly headquartered at the Salado Civic Center in Salado, Texas. Founded in 1978, TAPPS governs athletic, fine arts, and academic contests for the majority of non-public high schools in Texas.
As of 2021, TAPPS organizes competitions for over 230 private schools in Texas.

## History

TAPPS was chartered in 1978 with a membership of 20 schools. As of 2022, TAPPS lists their school membership at 230 with a combined enrollment of over 40,000 students. As early as 2013, TAPPS was using a proprietary software called TAPPSter to provide schools with online management tools for athletics and fine arts departments. In 2019, TAPPS signed a State Management contract with Rank One to serve schedules and game results to schools in their membership.

## Controversies
### Muslim and Jewish schools

In 2004, Darul Arqam, a Muslim school in Houston, submitted an application to join TAPPS. Khaled Katbi, who represented the school, had a meeting with TAPPS on November 4, 2004, and did not report any unusual questions. However the school subsequently received a letter which included a questionnaire with "Why do you wish to join an organization whose membership is basically in total disagreement with your religious beliefs?" and "Why do you think that the current member schools of TAPPS will not be biased against your school, based on the fundamental difference in your religion and Christianity, since about 90% of TAPPS schools embrace Christianity?" In response the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas stated that TAPPS should be investigated.
In 2010, Iman Academy Southwest, another Muslim school in Houston, submitted an application to join TAPPS. TAPPS responded by asking Iman to complete a questionnaire with questions like "Historically, there is nothing in the Koran that fully embraces Christianity or Judaism in the way a Christian and/or a Jew understands his religion. Why, then, are you interested in joining an association whose basic beliefs your religion condemns?" Iman Academy SW did not fill out the questionnaire and the attached application, and TAPPS denied Iman SW admission into the league. Iman SW did not appeal the decision. As of 2024, the Islamic private school Brighter Horizons Academy is a full member of TAPPS, competing in TAPPS 5A.
In 2012, TAPPS came under harsh criticism after it refused to reschedule a semifinals basketball game scheduled for 9 p.m. on Friday March 2 despite the fact that Robert M. Beren Academy, an Orthodox Jewish school, asked that its players not play on Jewish Sabbath. The school had won the regional championship to advance for their first trip to the semi-finals. An appeal was made by Beren Academy but denied by TAPPS under its bylaws set in the 1970s. TAPPS received legal pressure and pressure from Mayor Annise Parker of Houston as well as hundreds of letters. TAPPS eventually relented and allowed the game to be rescheduled under this pressure.
The controversies with the Muslim schools and Beren drew attention to the point where the Texas Catholic Conference called for a review of the association.

### Sports officials

In 2015, the TAPPS Winter Division 1 Soccer State Championship Game was stopped by Trinity Christian Academy (TCA) coaches and Athletic Director to protest a yellow card that was issued by the referee to a John Paul II player. The TCA AD left the field of play and met with the TAPPS Executive Director. They walked back to the JPII bench together and the TAPPS Executive Director issued an Administrative Red card to the player, overruling the referee in charge of the game. This violated TAPPS section 134 "NO PROTESTS. A protest base on a game or contest official's decision will not be considered" and TAPPS section 27 "...may not protest a contest judge's / referee's or other official's decision". The cause of the controversy was that after scoring a goal to go up 1-0 with 32 minutes left in the game the player removed his jersey on the way to the bench and was issued a yellow card for this unsportsmanlike behavior. JPII was forced to play 10 v 11 for the remainder of the game and lost 1-2.

## Groupings

Like the UIL, TAPPS aligns member schools into districts by geography and enrollment size for various contests. Each contest has a slightly different alignment based on the participating schools, but most follow the same basic framework. The districts are mostly decided behind closed doors by TAPPS every even year (in February, around the same time as the UIL's biannual redistricting), and are an attempt to keep schools within a certain distance of their hometown when attending competitions. Like the UIL, the districts are the first progression to the state championship.
Schools are further broken down with a letter classification to separate them from other schools of varying sizes based on average high school enrollment (single-sex schools have their student population average doubled). The purpose is ensured that schools compete only with others with similar size talent pools and resources.
Due to the wide variety of sports that some schools do and do not offer, and because some schools are single-sex, TAPPS uses several different classifications for sports (generally the larger the number the larger the school):
* Volleyball, basketball (boys and girls): 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A
* Football: Divisions I/II and III for six-man football (in I/II the schools are grouped together into districts, but in the playoffs they have separate brackets); Divisions I, II, III/IV (in III/IV the schools are grouped together into districts, but in the playoffs they have separate brackets), plus League (divided into two zones) for the 11-man game
* Baseball Divisions I through V
* Soccer: A single division (Division I) for fall, Divisions I through III for winter
* Softball: Divisions I through IV

## 2024-2026 alignment

Source:

### 6A schools
#### District 1

| School | City |
| Liberty Christian School | Argyle |
| Nolan Catholic High School | Fort Worth |
| Parish Episcopal School | Dallas |
| Trinity Christian Academy | Addison |

#### District 2

| School | City | Notes |
| Bishop Lynch High School | Dallas | |
| John Paul II High School | Plano | |
| Legacy Christian Academy | Frisco | |
| Prestonwood Christian Academy | Plano | |
| Ursuline Academy of Dallas | Dallas | Girls Only |

#### District 3

| School | City | Notes |
| Antonian College Preparatory High School | San Antonio | |
| Central Catholic Marianist High School | San Antonio | Boys Only |
| Incarnate Word High School | San Antonio | Girls Only |
| St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School | Austin | |
| St. Michael's Catholic Academy | Austin | |
| TMI Episcopal | San Antonio | |

#### District 4

| School | City | Notes |
| Concordia Lutheran High School | Tomball | |
| Incarnate Word Academy | Houston | Girls Only |
| St. Agnes Academy | Houston | Girls Only |
| Saint John XXIII College Preparatory | Katy | |
| St. Pius X High School | Houston | |
| St. Thomas High School | Houston | Boys Only |
| The Village School | Houston | |

#### Independent

| School | City | Notes |
| Cathedral High School | El Paso | Boys Only |
| Loretto Academy | El Paso | Girls Only |

### 5A schools
#### District 1

| School | City |
| All Saints Episcopal | Fort Worth |
| Coram Deo Academy | Flower Mound |
| Faith Christian School | Grapevine |
| Fort Worth Christian School | North Richland Hills |
| Grace Preparatory Academy | Arlington |
| Midland Christian School | Midland |
| Southwest Christian School | Fort Worth |
| Trinity Christian High School | Lubbock |

#### District 2

| School | City |
| Bishop Dunne Catholic School | Dallas |
| Brentwood Christian School | Austin |
| Brighter Horizons Academy | Garland |
| Brook Hill School | Bullard |
| Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep | Dallas |
| Grace Community School | Tyler |
| Hyde Park High School | Austin |
| Regents School of Austin | Austin |

#### District 3

| School | City | Notes |
| Providence High School | San Antonio | Girls Only |
| Saint Mary's Hall | San Antonio | |
| San Antonio Christian School | San Antonio | |
| St. Anthony Catholic High School | San Antonio | |
| St. Augustine High School | Laredo | |
| St. Joseph Academy | Brownsville | |
| St. Joseph High School | Victoria | |

#### District 4

| School | City |
| Bay Area Christian School | League City |
| The Emery/Weiner School | Houston |
| Fort Bend Christian Academy | Sugar Land |
| Logos Preparatory Academy | Sugar Land |
| Lutheran South Academy | Houston |
| Second Baptist School | Houston |

#### District 5

| School | City |
| Cypress Christian School | Houston |
| Frassati Catholic High School | Spring |
| Legacy Preparatory Christian Academy | Magnolia |
| Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School | Beaumont |
| The Woodlands Christian Academy | The Woodlands |

### 4A schools
#### District 1

| School | City |
| Lake Country Christian School | Fort Worth |
| Lubbock Christian School | Lubbock |
| Midland Classical Academy | Midland |
| Temple Christian School | Fort Worth |
| Trinity Christian Academy | Willow Park |
| Trinity School of Midland | Midland |

#### District 2

| School | City |
| Coram Deo Academy | Plano |
| Covenant Christian Academy | Colleyville |
| Covenant School | Dallas |
| Pantego Christian Academy | Arlington |
| Prince of Peace Christian School | Carrollton |

#### District 3

| School | City |
| All Saints Episcopal School | Tyler |
| Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Catholic School | Tyler |
| Dallas Christian School | Mesquite |
| June Shelton School | Dallas |
| McKinney Christian Academy | McKinney |

#### District 4

| School | City |
| Brazos Christian School | Bryan |
| Concordia Academy | Pflugerville |
| Hill Country Christian School | Austin |
| Round Rock Christian Academy | Round Rock |
| Texas School for the Deaf | Austin |
| Vanguard College Preparatory School | Waco |
| Veritas Academy | Austin |

#### District 5

| School | City |
| The Christian School at Castle Hills | San Antonio |
| Geneva School of Boerne | Boerne |
| Holy Cross of San Antonio | San Antonio |
| Incarnate Word Academy | Corpus Christi |
| John Paul II Catholic High School | Schertz |
| New Braunfels Christian Academy | New Braunfels |
| St. John Paul II High School | Corpus Christi |

#### District 6

| School | City |
| British International School of Houston | Katy |
| First Baptist Christian Academy | Pasadena |
| Northland Christian School | Houston |
| Rosehill Christian School | Tomball |
| St. Francis Episcopal School | Piney Point Village |
| St. Thomas' Episcopal School | Houston |
| Westbury Christian School | Houston |

### 3A schools
#### District 1

| School | City |
| Abilene Christian School | Abilene |
| Christian Life Preparatory School | Fort Worth |
| Covenant Classical School | Fort Worth |
| Denton Calvary Academy | Denton |
| Fellowship Academy | Kennedale |
| Weatherford Christian School | Weatherford |

#### District 2

| School | City | Notes |
| Burton Adventist Academy | Arlington | |
| Chisholm Trail Academy | Keene | |
| Dallas International School | Dallas | |
| The Highlands School | Irving | |
| Lakehill Preparatory School | Dallas | |
| Lone Star-North | Gainesville | Boys Only Correctional Institution |
| North Dallas Adventist Academy | Richardson | |
| Yavneh Academy of Dallas | Dallas | |

#### District 3

| School | City |
| Cornerstone Christian Academy | McKinney |
| Dallas Lutheran School | Dallas |
| The Einstein School | Plano |
| Heritage Christian Academy | Rockwall |
| Lucas Christian Academy | Lucas |
| Wylie Preparatory Academy | Wylie |

#### District 4

| School | City |
| Central Texas Christian School | Temple |
| Faith Academy | Marble Falls |
| Keystone School | San Antonio |
| Live Oak Classical School | Waco |
| Lutheran High School of San Antonio | San Antonio |
| San Juan Diego Catholic High School | Austin |
| San Marcos Academy | San Marcos |

#### District 5

| School | City | Notes |
| Alpha Omega Academy | Huntsville | |
| Covenant Christian School | Conroe | |
| Lone Star-Southeast | Giddings | Boys Only Correctional Institution |
| Providence Classical School | Spring | |

#### Independent

| School | City | Notes |
| Lydia Patterson Institute | El Paso | |

### 2A schools
#### District 1

| School | City |
| All Saints Episcopal School | Lubbock |
| Ascension Academy | Amarillo |
| Christ the King Cathedral School | Lubbock |
| Holy Cross Catholic Academy | Amarillo |
| Holy Cross Catholic High School | Midland |
| Kingdom Preparatory Academy | Lubbock |
| San Jacinto Christian Academy | Amarillo |
| Southcrest Christian School | Lubbock |

#### District 2

| School | City |
| Bethesda Christian School | Fort Worth |
| Harvest Christian Academy | Keller |
| Mercy Culture Preparatory | Fort Worth |
| Nazarene Christian Academy | Crowley |
| Sacred Heart Catholic School | Muenster |
| Victory Baptist Academy | Weatherford |
| Victory Christian Academy | Decatur |
| Wichita Christian School | Wichita Falls |

#### District 3

| School | City |
| Alcuin School | Dallas |
| Cambridge School of Dallas | Dallas |
| First Baptist Academy of Dallas | Dallas |
| Garland Christian Academy | Garland |
| Ovilla Christian School | Red Oak |
| Prestonwood Christian-North | Prosper |

#### District 4

| School | City |
| Christian Heritage School | Longview |
| Greenville Christian School | Greenville |
| Poetry Community Christian School | Terrell |
| Longview Christian School | Longview |

#### District 5

| School | City |
| Austin Waldorf School | Austin |
| Bishop Louis Reicher Catholic School | Waco |
| Holy Trinity Catholic High School | Temple |
| Summit Christian Academy | Cedar Park |
| Valor Preparatory Academy | Waco |

#### District 6

| School | City |
| Atonement Academy | San Antonio |
| Bracken Christian School | Bulverde |
| Faith Academy | Victoria |
| Sacred Heart Catholic School | Hallettsville |
| St. Paul High School | Shiner |

#### District 7

| School | City |
| Allen Academy | Bryan |
| Calvary Baptist School | Conroe |
| Faith West Academy | Katy |
| Houston Adventist Academy | Cypress |
| St. Joseph Catholic School | Bryan |

#### District 8

| School | City |
| Brazosport Christian School | Lake Jackson |
| The Briarwood School | Houston |
| Chinquapin Preparatory School | Highlands |
| Legacy Christian Academy | Beaumont |
| O'Connell College Preparatory School | Galveston |

### 1A schools
#### District 1

| School | City |
| Accelerate Christian School | Amarillo |
| First Odessa Christian Academy | Odessa |
| Jesus Chapel School | El Paso |
| Runnels Academy | Big Spring |

#### District 2

| School | City |
| Azle Christian School | Azle |
| Christ Academy | Wichita Falls |
| Cornerstone Christian Academy | Granbury |
| StoneGate Christian Academy | Irving |
| Texoma Christian School | Sherman |

#### District 3

| School | City |
| Eagle Christian Academy | Waco |
| Fairhill School | Dallas |
| Kingdom Collegiate Academy | DeSoto |
| Providence Academy | Rockwall |
| Westwood School | Dallas |
| The Winston School | Dallas |
| Waxahachie Preparatory Academy | Waxahachie |

#### District 4

| School | City |
| Athens Christian Preparatory Academy | Athens |
| Regents Academy | Nacogdoches |
| St. Boniface Catholic High School | Nacogdoches |
| St. Cyprian’s Episcopal School | Lufkin |
| St. Mary's Catholic School | Longview |
| Trinity School of Texas | Longview |

#### District 5

| School | City |
| First Baptist School | Brownsville |
| Harvest Christian Academy | Edinburg |
| Juan Diego Academy | Mission |
| Macedonian Christian Academy | Alamo |
| Presbyterian Pan American School | Kingsville |
| South Texas Christian Academy | McAllen |

#### District 6

| School | City |
| Austin Classical School | Austin |
| Cornerstone Christian School | San Angelo |
| First Baptist Academy | Universal City |
| Gateway Christian School | San Antonio |
| Heritage School | Fredericksburg |
| Hill Country Christian School | San Marcos |
| Legacy Christian Academy | San Antonio |
| Living Rock Academy | Bulverde |
| Our Lady of the Hills High School | Kerrville |
| River City Believers Academy | Selma |
| Waterloo School | Austin |

#### District 7

| School | City |
| Covenant Academy | Cypress |
| The Covenant Preparatory School | Kingwood |
| Faith Academy | Bellville |
| Founders Christian School | Spring |
| Lifestyle Christian School | Conroe |
| Memorial Lutheran School | Houston |
| Second Baptist School University Model-Cypress | Cypress |
| Second Baptist School University Model-Memorial | Houston |

#### District 8

| School | City |
| Angleton Christian School | Angleton |
| Baytown Christian Academy | Baytown |
| Divine Savior Academy | Missouri City |
| Family Christian Academy | Houston |
| Grace Christian Academy | Houston |
| Robert M. Beren Academy | Houston |

#### Independent

| School | City |
| Radford School | El Paso |

## 2023-24 State Champions

Baseball :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| Division I | Central Catholic | San Antonio |
| Division II | Second Baptist | Houston |
| Division III | Brook Hill | Bullard |
| Division IV | First Baptist Christian | Pasadena |
| Division V | St. Paul Catholic | Shiner |
Basketball :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| 1A Girls | Harvest Christian | Edinburg |
| 2A Girls | Covenant Christian | Conroe |
| 3A Girls | Lubbock Christian | Lubbock |
| 4A Girls | Lake Country Christian | Fort Worth |
| 5A Girls | Southwest Christian | Fort Worth |
| 6A Girls | Bishop Lynch | Dallas |
| 1A Boys | Kingdom Collegiate | DeSoto |
| 2A Boys | Bethesda Christian | Fort Worth |
| 3A Boys | St. Francis Episcopal | Houston |
| 4A Boys | St. Thomas Episcopal | Houston |
| 5A Boys | Midland Christian | Midland |
| 6A Boys | Parish Episcopal | Dallas |
Cross Country :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| 1A Girls | Texoma Christian | Sherman |
| 2A Girls | Providence Classical | Spring |
| 3A Girls | Coram Deo | Plano |
| 4A Girls | Legacy Prep | Magnolia |
| 5A Girls | St. Dominic Savio | Austin |
| 6A Girls | Ursuline Academy | Dallas |
| 1A Boys | Victory Baptist | Weatherford |
| 2A Boys | Providence Classical | Spring |
| 3A Boys | Live Oak Classical | Waco |
| 4A Boys | Covenant | Dallas |
| 5A Boys | TMI Episcopal | San Antonio |
| 6A Boys | St. Thomas | Houston |
Field Hockey :
| Classification | Champion | School city | Source |
| Statewide | St. Agnes | Houston | |
Football :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| Six-Man Division I | Emery/Weiner | Houston |
| Six-Man Division II | Covenant Christian | Conroe |
| Six-Man Division III | Prestonwood Christian-North | Prosper |
| 11-Man Division I | Parish Episcopal | Dallas |
| 11-Man Division II | Liberty Christian | Argyle |
| 11-Man Division III | Dallas Christian | Mesquite |
| 11-Man Division IV | First Baptist | Dallas |
Golf :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| 1A Girls | Prestonwood Christian-North | Prosper |
| 2A Girls | All Saints Episcopal | Lubbock |
| 3A Girls | Weatherford Christian | Weatherford |
| 4A Girls | Logos Prep | Sugar Land |
| 5A Girls | Lutheran South | Houston |
| 6A Girls | Ursuline Academy | Dallas |
| 1A Boys | Covenant Academy | Cypress |
| 2A Boys | All Saints Episcopal | Lubbock |
| 3A Boys | Rosehill Christian | Tomball |
| 4A Boys | Covenant | Dallas |
| 5A Boys | Woodlands Christian | The Woodlands |
| 6A Boys | Trinity Christian | Addison |
Soccer :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| Fall Soccer ||||
| Boys Statewide | Yavneh Academy | Dallas |
| Winter Soccer ||||
| Division I Boys | John Paul II | Plano |
| Division II Boys | St. Joseph Academy | Brownsville |
| Division III Boys | Brook Hill | Bullard |
| Division I Girls | Ursuline Academy | Dallas |
| Division II Girls | Grace Community | Tyler |
| Division III Girls | McKinney Christian | McKinney |
Softball :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| Division I | St. Agnes | Houston |
| Division II | St. Joseph | Victoria |
| Division III | Brook Hill | Bullard |
| Division IV | Sacred Heart | Hallettsville |
Swimming :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| Division I Girls | Bishop Lynch | Dallas |
| Division II Girls | TMI Episcopal | San Antonio |
| Division III Girls | Legacy Prep | The Woodlands |
| Division I Boys | Cathedral | El Paso |
| Division II Boys | TMI Episcopal | San Antonio |
| Division III Boys | Logos Prep | Sugar Land |
Tennis :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| 1A Girls | Covenant Prep | Kingwood |
| 2A Girls | All Saints Episcopal | Lubbock |
| 3A Girls | San Jacinto Christian | Amarillo |
| 4A Girls | John Paul II | Plano |
| 5A Girls | Emery/Weiner | Houston |
| 6A Girls | Ursuline Academy | Dallas |
| 1A Boys | Briarwood | Houston |
| 2A Boys | Abilene Christian | Abilene |
| 3A Boys | Live Oak Classical | Waco |
| 4A Boys | Incarnate Word | Corpus Christi |
| 5A Boys | TMI Episcopal | San Antonio |
| 6A Boys | Village | Houston |
Track & Field :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| 1A Girls | Heritage School | Fredericksburg |
| 2A Girls | St. Paul Catholic | Shiner |
| 3A Girls | Rosehill Christian | Tomball |
| 4A Girls | Brentwood Christian | Austin |
| 5A Girls | Fort Bend Christian | Sugar Land |
| 6A Girls | St. Agnes | Houston |
| 1A Boys | Brazosport Christian | Lake Jackson |
| 2A Boys | First Baptist | Dallas |
| 3A Boys | Central Texas Christian | Temple |
| 4A Boys | Trinity Christian | Lubbock |
| 5A Boys | Lutheran South | Houston |
| 6A Boys | St. Thomas | Houston |
Volleyball :
| Classification | Champion | School city |
| 1A | Christ Academy | Wichita Falls |
| 2A | Ovilla Christian | Red Oak |
| 3A | Keystone | San Antonio |
| 4A | Grace Prep | Arlington |
| 5A | Liberty Christian | Argyle |
| 6A | Prestonwood Christian | Plano |
Wrestling :
| Classification | Champion | School city | Source |
| Boys Statewide | Bishop Lynch | Dallas | |