Tyler Reporter

The majority of students in Van Zandt County districts were white in the 2021-22 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Of the 10,510 students attending Van Zandt County district schools, 70.7% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 21.9% of Van Zandt County districts' students.

In the previous school year, white students still were the most common group in Van Zandt County districts, representing 71.7% of the student body.

Wills Point ISD had the most even distribution of races among county districts, with 61.3% white students, 29.4% Hispanic students, 4.8% Black students, 3.3% Multi-racial students, 0.6% American Indian students, and 0.4% Asian students.

In the 2021-22 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county increased 5.3% compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Van Zandt County.

The Texas education system is currently torn between public schools and taxpayer-funded private schools.

Critics argue that private schools use funds that should go to the public school system, while private school advocates claim they’re offering better education for more Texas 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.

District	Most prevalent ethnic group	Percent of Total Student Body	Total enrollment
Canton ISD	white	77.1%	2,284
Edgewood ISD	white	80%	1,029
Fruitvale ISD	white	79.2%	428
Grand Saline ISD	white	70.1%	1,175
Martins Mill ISD	white	71.8%	511
Ranch Academy	white	69.3%	75
Van ISD	white	69.5%	2,373
Wills Point ISD	white	61.3%	2,635