North Coastal News

There were seven Pacific Islander students enrolled in Matagorda County schools in the 2021-22 school year, 40% more than the previous year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Data showed that Matagorda County welcomed 7,023 students during the 2021-22 school year. Among them, Pacific Islander comprised 0.1% of the student body to be the least represented ethnicity in the county.

Among the 18 schools in Matagorda County, only Bay City High School and Van Vleck High School enrolled any Pacific Islander students, welcoming two students each in the 2021-22 school year.

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 Pacific Islander students enrolment	Total enrollment
Bay City High School	0.2	969
Bay City Junior High School	0	815
Tenie Holmes Elementary School	0	746
Roberts Elementary School	0	534
Cherry Elementary School	0.2	446
Palacios High School	0	380
Central Elementary School	0	356
Van Vleck High School	0.6	335
Van Vleck Elementary School	0	325
Palacios Junior High School	0	303
East Side Intermediate School	0	283
Blessing Elementary School	0	263
Tidehaven High School	0.4	260
Van Vleck Junior High School	0	253
Tidehaven Intermediate School	0	251
Markham Elementary School	0.4	236
Van Vleck Intermediate School	0	167
Matagorda School	0	101