Enrollment Analysis: Black students comprised 9.5% of Taylor County’s student body in 2022-23 school year

Texas State Board Of Education Secretary Pat Hardy (2024) | twitter.com/pathardy

By Abilene Times

Dec 7, 2024

There were 2,273 Black students enrolled in Taylor County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 3% more than the previous year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Data showed that Taylor County welcomed 23,949 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 9.5% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 43 schools in Taylor County, Abilene High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 267 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.

Ethnicities in Taylor County in 2022-23 School Year

Enrollment Demographics in Taylor County Schools During 2022-23 School Year

School name	% of Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Abilene High School	13.6	1,966
Cooper High School	15	1,716
Wylie High School	4.8	1,467
Wylie West Junior High School	4	972
Mann Middle School	13.7	879
Long Early Learning Center	14.6	809
Wylie East Elementary School	4.8	789
Madison Middle School	8.3	785
Craig Middle School	14.9	783
Texas Leadership of Abilene	4.5	727
Austin Elementary School	7.2	724
Clack Middle School	15.4	707
Taylor Elementary School	15.2	658
Purcell Elementary School	13.4	635
Dyess Elementary School	11.7	617
Merkel Elementary School	0.9	565
Bassetti Elementary School	15	553
Wylie East Junior High School	4.2	524
Ward Elementary School	11.1	494
Ortiz Elementary School	13.8	484
Bonham Elementary School	11.4	482
Bowie Elementary School	8.4	476
Wylie West Intermediate School	6.1	459
Jim Ned High School	0.2	457
Alcorta Elementary School	8	451
Stafford Elementary School	16.6	447
Wylie West Elementary School	4.9	428
Wylie West Early Childhood Center	5.2	421
Thomas Elementary School	21.3	414
Martinez Elementary School	8.7	412
Lawn Elementary School	2.3	400
Buffalo Gap Elementary School	0	394
Jim Ned Middle School	0.8	373
Academy for Technology Engineering Math & Science	5.6	372
Merkel High School	0.6	327
Merkel Middle School	2.4	248
Premier High School of Abilene	1.4	146
Woodson Center for Excellence	13.7	139
Trent Independent School District	5.3	131
DAEP	24	100
Juvenile Detention Center	9.1	11
Taylor County Learning Center	25	4
Oceans Behavioral Health	33.3	3