East RGV News

There were 10 American Indian students enrolled in Willacy County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 100% more than the previous year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Data showed that Willacy County welcomed 3,976 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, American Indian students comprised 0.3% of the student body to be the third most represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 13 schools in Willacy County, Lyford High School, Pittman Elementary School, and Smith Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of three 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 American Indian students enrolment	Total enrollment
Lyford Elementary School	0.2	625
Pittman Elementary School	0.5	579
Raymondville High School	0	508
Lyford High School	0.6	472
Smith Elementary School	0.7	450
Myra Green Middle School	0	425
Lyford Middle School	0	299
Lasara Elementary School	0	251
Lasara High School	0	100
San Perlita Elementary School	0	98
San Perlita High School	0	70
Raymondville Options Academic Academy	0	56
San Perlita Middle School	0	43