Panhandle Times

There were 976 students enrolled in Childress County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 2.9% less than the previous year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

At the time, Childress County had the 55th lowest enrollment in the state.

Data also showed that white students made up 51.4% of the student body, the largest percentage in Childress County schools, followed by Hispanic students at 38.7%, Black students at 3.7%, Asian students at 1.5%, American Indian students at 0.5%, Pacific Islander students at 0.1% and multiracial students at 4%.

Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state's school district. According to a 2024 report from the Texas Education Agency, per-pupil funding has not increased since 2019, despite inflation rates rising by more than 20% since then.

“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 stated in an interview.

School name	Total enrollment in 2022-23	Total enrollment in 2023-24	% change
Childress Elementary School	451	432	-4.2%
Childress High School	303	318	5%
Childress Junior High School	251	226	-10%