Abilene Times

There were 792 white students enrolled in Merkel ISD schools in the 2022-23 school year, 5.3% more than the previous year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Data showed that Merkel ISD schools welcomed 1,140 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, white students comprised 69.5% of the student body to be one of the most represented ethnicities in the district.

Merkel ISD roughly covers schools within Taylor County and has a main office in Merkel.

Among the three schools in Merkel ISD schools, Merkel Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 391 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.

Year	Total District Enrollment	Total of White Students	White students %
2022-23	1,140	792	69.5%
2021-22	1,087	752	69.2%
2020-21	1,097	771	70.3%
2019-20	1,108	771	69.6%