Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath (2024) | onestarfoundation.org
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath (2024) | onestarfoundation.org
At the time, Bell County had the 19th largest enrollment in the state.
Data also showed that Hispanic students made up 36.2% of the student body, the largest percentage in Bell County schools, followed by white students at 28.2%, Black students at 24%, Asian students at 1.9%, Pacific Islander students at 1.3%, American Indian students at 0.4% and multiracial students at 8.1%.
Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing the state's school district. According to a 2024 report from the Texas Education Agency, 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 stated in an interview.
Enrollment in Bell County Schools Over 4 Years
Breakdown of Student Enrollment in Bell County Schools
| School name | Total enrollment in 2022-23 | Total enrollment in 2023-24 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Elementary | 182 | 172 | -5.5% |
| Academy High School | 530 | 539 | 1.7% |
| Academy Intermediate | 704 | 702 | -0.3% |
| Academy Junior High | 419 | 401 | -4.3% |
| Alice W. Douse Elementary School | 970 | 929 | -4.2% |
| Bartlett Schools | 461 | 439 | -4.8% |
| Belton Early Childhood School | 525 | 519 | -1.1% |
| Belton High School | 1,941 | 1,836 | -5.4% |
| Belton Middle School | 691 | 715 | 3.5% |
| Bonham Middle School | 622 | 636 | 2.3% |
| Brookhaven Elementary School | 584 | 557 | -4.6% |
| C. E. Ellison High School | 1,682 | 1,687 | 0.3% |
| Cater Elementary School | 322 | 309 | -4% |
| Cedar Crest | 69 | 71 | 2.9% |
| Cedar Valley Elementary School | 576 | 594 | 3.1% |
| Charles E. Patterson Middle School | 1,003 | 1,022 | 1.9% |
| Charter Oak Elementary School | 632 | 624 | -1.3% |
| Chisholm Trail Elementary School | 868 | 913 | 5.2% |
| Clear Creek Elementary School | 723 | 781 | 8% |
| Clifton Park Elementary School | 1,026 | 990 | -3.5% |
| Dr. Joseph A. Fowler Elementary School | 802 | 783 | -2.4% |
| Eastern Hills Middle School | 610 | 589 | -3.4% |
| Edna Bigham Mays Elementary School | 421 | 433 | 2.9% |
| Elementary Alter Learning Center | 17 | 18 | 5.9% |
| Fred W. Edwards Academy Aec | 107 | 89 | -16.8% |
| Gateway High School | 139 | 97 | -30.2% |
| Gateway Middle School | 58 | 68 | 17.2% |
| Harker Heights Elementary School | 724 | 720 | -0.6% |
| Harker Heights High School | 2,359 | 2,268 | -3.9% |
| Hay Branch Elementary School | 602 | 574 | -4.7% |
| Haynes Elementary School | 780 | 768 | -1.5% |
| Hector P. Garcia Elementary School | 437 | 484 | 10.8% |
| High Point Elementary School | 643 | 645 | 0.3% |
| Holland Elementary School | 310 | 306 | -1.3% |
| Holland High School | 193 | 187 | -3.1% |
| Holland Middle School | 131 | 145 | 10.7% |
| Iduma Elementary School | 852 | 808 | -5.2% |
| Ira Cross Junior Elementary School | 623 | 647 | 3.9% |
| JHW Inspire Academy - Bell County | 36 | 34 | -5.6% |
| Jefferson Elementary School | 491 | 492 | 0.2% |
| Joe M. Pirtle Elementary School | 606 | 630 | 4% |
| Kennedy-Powell Elementary School | 441 | 416 | -5.7% |
| Killeen Elementary School | 1,135 | 1,088 | -4.1% |
| Killeen High School | 2,076 | 2,166 | 4.3% |
| Lake Belton High School | 2,181 | 2,269 | 4% |
| Lake Belton Middle School | 826 | 812 | -1.7% |
| Lakewood Elementary School | 700 | 676 | -3.4% |
| Lamar Middle School | 520 | 538 | 3.5% |
| Liberty Hill Middle School | 694 | 716 | 3.2% |
| Live Oak Ridge Middle School | 729 | 683 | -6.3% |
| Manor Middle School | 614 | 627 | 2.1% |
| Maude Moore Wood Elementary School | 681 | 696 | 2.2% |
| Maxdale Elementary School | 569 | 534 | -6.2% |
| Meadows Elementary School | 830 | 864 | 4.1% |
| Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy | 418 | 447 | 6.9% |
| Miller Heights Elementary School | 317 | 283 | -10.7% |
| Mountain View Elementary School | 787 | 740 | -6% |
| Nolan Creek School | 122 | 138 | 13.1% |
| Nolan Middle School | 1,178 | 1,156 | -1.9% |
| Nolanville Elementary School | 655 | 640 | -2.3% |
| North Belton Middle School | 857 | 919 | 7.2% |
| Palo Alto Middle School | 790 | 759 | -3.9% |
| Pat Carney Elementary School | 743 | 714 | -3.9% |
| Pathways Academic Campus | 362 | 353 | -2.5% |
| Peebles Elementary School | 529 | 526 | -0.6% |
| Pershing Park Elementary School | 1,001 | 1,003 | 0.2% |
| Rancier Middle School | 722 | 687 | -4.8% |
| Raye-Allen Elementary School | 567 | 627 | 10.6% |
| Reeces Creek Elementary School | 856 | 868 | 1.4% |
| Richard E. Cavazos Elementary School | 607 | 550 | -9.4% |
| Richard Milburn Alter High School (Killeen) | 157 | 122 | -22.3% |
| Robert M. Shoemaker High School | 2,175 | 2,258 | 3.8% |
| Rogers Elementary School | 419 | 402 | -4.1% |
| Rogers High School | 280 | 257 | -8.2% |
| Roy Junior Smith Middle School | 1,327 | 1,280 | -3.5% |
| Saegert Elementary School | 954 | 982 | 2.9% |
| Salado High School | 716 | 725 | 1.3% |
| Salado Middle School | 591 | 590 | -0.2% |
| Scott Elementary School | 465 | 465 | 0% |
| Skipcha Elementary School | 925 | 968 | 4.6% |
| South Belton Middle School | 677 | 660 | -2.5% |
| Southwest Elementary School | 402 | 398 | -1% |
| Sparta Elementary School | 598 | 574 | -4% |
| Tarver Elementary School | 798 | 486 | -39.1% |
| Temple Charter Academy | 267 | 221 | -17.2% |
| Temple High School | 2,305 | 2,342 | 1.6% |
| Thomas Arnold Elementary School | 1,029 | 1,031 | 0.2% |
| Thornton Elementary School | 744 | 740 | -0.5% |
| Timber Ridge Elementary School | 796 | 747 | -6.2% |
| Travis Science Academy | 649 | 687 | 5.9% |
| Trimmier Elementary School | 740 | 690 | -6.8% |
| Troy Elementary School | 399 | 372 | -6.8% |
| Troy High School | 487 | 497 | 2.1% |
| Union Grove Middle School | 633 | 669 | 5.7% |
| Venable Village Elementary School | 605 | 684 | 13.1% |
| Western Hills Elementary School | 448 | 448 | 0% |
| Willow Springs Elementary School | 706 | 658 | -6.8% |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
Harker Heights Elementary• Kennedy-Powell Elementary• Bartlett Schools• Salado High School• Tarver Elementary• Cedar Crest• Nolan Creek School• Clear Creek Elementary• Richard E. Cavazos Elementary• Brookhaven Elementary• Charter Oak Elementary• Killeen High School• Academy High School• Thomas Arnold Elementary• Pathways Academic Campus• High Point Elementary• Iduma Elementary• Holland High School• Live Oak Ridge Middle• Roy J. Smith Middle• Lamar Middle• Meadows Elementary• Rogers Elementary• Miller Heights Elementary• Pat Carney Elementary School• Cater Elementary• Belton High School• Trimmier Elementary• Rancier Middle• Nolanville Elementary• Sparta Elementary• Gateway Middle• C.e. Ellison High School• Belton Middle School• Jefferson Elementary• Holland Middle• Temple High School• Liberty Hill Middle• Thornton Elementary• Hay Branch Elementary• Belton Early Childhood School• Mountain View Elementary• Troy Elementary• Salado Junior High• Chisholm Trail Elementary• Venable Village Elementary• Elementary Alter Learning Center• Robert M. Shoemaker High School• Eastern Hills Middle• Nolan Middle School• Southwest Elementary• Ira Cross Junior Elementary• Dr. Joseph A. Fowler Elementary School• Skipcha Elementary• Raye-Allen Elementary• Academy Elementary• Hector P. Garcia Elementary• Killeen Elementary School• Holland Elementary• Alice W. Douse Elementary• Haynes Elementary• South Belton Middle• Temple Charter Academy• Manor Middle• Lake Belton High School• Joe M. Pirtle Elementary• Maude Moore Wood Elementary• Cedar Valley Elementary• Peebles Elementary• Maxdale Elementary• Edna Bigham Mays Elementary• Scott Elementary• Jhw Inspire Academy - Bell County• Palo Alto Middle• Lake Belton Middle• Rogers High School• Raymond Mays Middle• Fred W. Edwards Academy Aec• Troy High School• Academy Intermediate• Clifton Park Elementary• Academy Junior High• Travis Science Academy• Pershing Park Elementary• Bonham Middle• North Belton Middle• Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy• Saegert Elementary• Lakewood Elementary• Willow Springs Elementary• Richard Milburn Alter High School (killeen)• Western Hills Elementary• Gateway High School• Union Grove Middle• Reeces Creek Elementary• Harker Heights High School• Timber Ridge Elementary• Charles E. Patterson Middle
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