Panhandle Times

There was one Pacific Islander student enrolled in Deaf Smith County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 50% less 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, Pacific Islander students comprised 0% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the county.

Hereford Preparatory Academy was the only school in the county to enroll a Pacific Islander student, with just one student identified in the 2022-23 school year.

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 Pacific Islander students enrolment	Total enrollment
Hereford High School	0	1,176
Hereford Junior High School	0	599
Northwest Elementary School	0	456
Bluebonnet Elementary School	0	404
Aikman Elementary School	0	378
West Central Elementary School	0	361
Hereford Preparatory Academy	0.3	299
Tierra Blanca Early Childhood Center	0	279
Walcott Elementary School	0	148