West Texas News

There were eight Black students enrolled in Yoakum County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 20% less than the previous year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Data showed that Yoakum County welcomed 1,988 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 0.4% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the seven schools in Yoakum County, Denver City High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of five 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.

School name	% of Black students enrolment	Total enrollment
Denver City High School	1	521
William G. Gravitt Junior High School	0.5	364
Dodson Primary School	0.3	347
Kelley Elementary School	0	325
Plains Elementary School	0	203
Plains High School	0	132
Plains Middle School	0	96