Abilene Times

There were 9,140 Hispanic students enrolled in Taylor County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 0.3% 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, Hispanic students comprised 38.2% of the student body to be the second most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 43 schools in Taylor County, Abilene High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 1,008 students.

Texas is found to be one of the least-educated states in the U.S. A study from WalletHub ranked Texas 41st out of 50 states in terms of the quality of the educational system and how successful students were.

Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state's school districts. 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 said.

School name	% of Hispanic students enrolment	Total enrollment
Abilene High School	51.3	1,966
Cooper High School	43.2	1,716
Wylie High School	20.8	1,467
Wylie West Junior High School	23.1	972
Mann Middle School	52.8	879
Long Early Learning Center	50.4	809
Wylie East Elementary School	24.2	789
Madison Middle School	44.8	785
Craig Middle School	47.8	783
Texas Leadership of Abilene	49	727
Austin Elementary School	31.9	724
Clack Middle School	41.6	707
Taylor Elementary School	34.8	658
Purcell Elementary School	59.5	635
Dyess Elementary School	31.4	617
Merkel Elementary School	26.7	565
Bassetti Elementary School	36.7	553
Wylie East Junior High School	25.4	524
Ward Elementary School	32	494
Ortiz Elementary School	74.8	484
Bonham Elementary School	43.4	482
Bowie Elementary School	51.9	476
Wylie West Intermediate School	23.1	459
Jim Ned High School	12.3	457
Alcorta Elementary School	40.8	451
Stafford Elementary School	49	447
Wylie West Elementary School	21.5	428
Wylie West Early Childhood Center	32.3	421
Thomas Elementary School	42	414
Martinez Elementary School	74.8	412
Lawn Elementary School	16.8	400
Buffalo Gap Elementary School	15	394
Jim Ned Middle School	15.8	373
Academy for Technology Engineering Math & Science	27.7	372
Merkel High School	22	327
Merkel Middle School	29.8	248
Premier High School of Abilene	36.3	146
Woodson Center for Excellence	59	139
Trent Independent School District	20.6	131
DAEP	47	100
Juvenile Detention Center	54.5	11
Taylor County Learning Center	50	4
Oceans Behavioral Health	0	3