Panhandle Times

There were seven American Indian students enrolled in Deaf Smith County schools in the 2021-22 school year, 40% more than the previous year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Data showed that Deaf Smith County welcomed 4,119 students during the 2021-22 school year. Among them, American Indian comprised 0.2% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the nine schools in Deaf Smith County, Hereford High School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2021-22 school year, with a total of four students.

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.

School name	% of American Indian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Hereford High School	0.3	1,154
Hereford Junior High School	0.2	580
Northwest Elementary School	0.2	457
Bluebonnet Elementary School	0	404
Aikman Elementary School	0	401
West Central Elementary School	0	378
Hereford Preparatory Academy	0	333
Tierra Blanca Early Childhood Center	0.4	260
Walcott Elementary School	0	152