Tyler Reporter

Of the many ethnicities represented in Texas districts, the most prevalent ethnic group among students enrolled in Cherokee County districts in the 2022-23 school year was white, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Of the 11,160 students attending Cherokee County schools, 48.7% were white. Hispanic students comprised the second-largest ethnic group in the county, making up 35.2% of the student body.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most represented group in Cherokee County districts, comprising 49% of the student body.

Bullard ISD, Jacksonville ISD and Rusk ISD had the most diverse student body in the county, including white, American Indian, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and multiracial.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in the county increased 2.5% compared to the previous year.

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

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.

More than 5.4 million students are enrolled in public schools across Texas. Nearly one million of them live in rural areas where options for local public schools are few and far between.

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.

District	Most prevalent ethnic group	Percent of Total Student Body	Total enrollment
Alto ISD	Hispanic	35.8%	536
Bullard ISD	White	84.2%	2,886
Jacksonville ISD	Hispanic	53.6%	4,909
New Summerfield ISD	Hispanic	85.6%	515
Rusk ISD	White	62.9%	2,055
Wells ISD	White	72.6%	259