Panhandle Times

The majority of students in Swisher County districts were Hispanic in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Of the 1,445 students attending Swisher County schools, 55% were Hispanic. White students comprised the second-largest ethnic group in the county, making up 37% of the student body.

In the previous school year, Hispanic students were also the most represented group in Swisher County districts, comprising 56.7% of the student body.

Tulia ISD had the most diverse student body in the county, including white, American Indian, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and multiracial.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county dropped 2.2% compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Swisher County.

Texas is found to be one of the least educated states in the U.S. A study from WalletHub ranked Texas 41st out of 50 states in terms of the quality of the educational system and how successful students were.

More than 5.4 million students are enrolled in public schools across Texas. Nearly one million of them live in rural areas where options for local public schools are few and far between.

Education in Texas is often a hot button issue, especially as test scores lag behind other states.

“The problems commonly cited are flaws in the school financing system, relatively low teacher salary, poor test performance by students…dropouts from traditional schools in favor of charter schools…gun violence, and mental health issues,” claimed the Texas Almanac.

District	Most prevalent ethnic group	Percent of Total Student Body	Total enrollment
Happy ISD	White	83.7%	270
Kress ISD	Hispanic	55.2%	279
Tulia ISD	Hispanic	67.4%	896