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UTB-CBIRD Report: “At The Crossroads” Education & Training 42
CAMERON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Enrollment
There are 12 independent school districts in Cameron County, ranging in size
from Brownsville with 45 schools and 40,898 students to Santa Rosa with three
schools and 1,151 students. Two charter schools enroll an additional 371
students. In grand total, in the 2001-2002 school year there were 121 schools
enrolling 81,067 students. In addition, South Texas Independent School District
(ISD) serves 28 school districts in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties. This
public, tuition-free district has four campuses, (including three magnet schools)
with an enrollment of 2,300.
Cameron County public schools are 94% Hispanic and 84% of the students are
classified as economically disadvantaged, Figure 4.2. Just three school districts,
Harlingen, La Feria, and Point Isabel have fewer than 90% Hispanic students,
and only one of those had fewer than 80% economically disadvantaged students.
Figure 4. 2. Ethnicity & Economic Disadvantage Enrollment, 1999-2000
120.0%
100.0%
80.0%
60.0%
40.0%
20.0%
0.0%
40%
93%
96%
57%
94%
96%
49%
84%
82%
Hispanic Not White Economically
Disadvantaged
Source: 1999-2000 PEIMS, Texas Education Agency, Austin TX
From 1997 to 2001, Texas experienced 5% growth within grades K–9, and 10%
growth in grades 10–12. Cameron County’s growth within the lower grades has
been 1%, while the growth in the upper grades has been 5% (Figure 4.3).
Hidalgo County has higher K-9 growth (11%), but a lower 3% growth rate in
grades 10–12.
Texas
Cameron
Hidalgo
Una Region -- Un Futuro