Panhandle Times

There were 3,730 Hispanic students enrolled in Deaf Smith County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 0.4% more than the previous year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Data showed that Deaf Smith County welcomed 4,100 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Hispanic students comprised 91% of the student body to be the most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the nine schools in Deaf Smith County, Hereford High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 1,054 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 Hispanic students enrolment	Total enrollment
Hereford High School	89.6	1,176
Hereford Junior High School	90.7	599
Northwest Elementary School	87.3	456
Bluebonnet Elementary School	94.6	404
Aikman Elementary School	96.6	378
West Central Elementary School	94.2	361
Hereford Preparatory Academy	86.6	299
Tierra Blanca Early Childhood Center	95.3	279
Walcott Elementary School	83.1	148