Panhandle Times

Hispanic students made up the largest ethnic group in Deaf Smith County schools in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Of the 4,100 students attending Deaf Smith County schools, 91% were Hispanic. White students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 7.7% of the total enrollment.

In the previous school year, Hispanic students also made up the largest ethnic group in Deaf Smith County, comprising 90.2% of the student body.

Hereford High School, Hereford Junior High School and Bluebonnet Elementary School had the most diverse student body in Deaf Smith County, including white, American Indian, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and multiracial.

In the 2022-23 school year, total public school enrollment in the county dropped 0.5% when compared to the previous year.

“As a result, many districts in our very own Central Texas region are being forced to cut back on essential programs, services, consider school closures, and adopt deficit budgets just to provide students with the education that they deserve,” Hutto ISD Trustee James Matlock said.

School name	Most prevalent ethnic group	Percent of Total Student Body	Total enrollment
Aikman Elementary School	Hispanic	96.6%	378
Bluebonnet Elementary School	Hispanic	94.6%	404
Hereford High School	Hispanic	89.6%	1,176
Hereford Junior High School	Hispanic	90.7%	599
Hereford Preparatory Academy	Hispanic	86.6%	299
Northwest Elementary School	Hispanic	87.3%	456
Tierra Blanca Early Childhood Center	Hispanic	95.3%	279
Walcott Elementary School	Hispanic	83.1%	148
West Central Elementary School	Hispanic	94.2%	361