McLennan County schools enrolled 28,007 students classified as economically disadvantaged during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency.
Of the 43,133 students enrolled in McLennan County schools, 64.9% were considered economically disadvantaged. This is a 1.6% decrease from the previous school year.
McLennan County enrolled the 21st highest number of students identified as economically disadvantaged among Texas counties.
A recent study by WalletHub classified Texas as one of the least-educated states in the U.S., ranking it 41st out of 50 in educational quality and student outcomes.
Underfunding is a frequently cited challenge facing Texas’ school districts. 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.
| School | Number of Economically Disadvantaged Students | Total Number of Students |
|---|---|---|
| University High School | 1,561 | 1,750 |
| Waco High School | 1,548 | 1,778 |
| Tennyson Middle School | 816 | 947 |
| La Vega High School | 792 | 877 |
| Midway High School | 789 | 2,730 |
| Cesar Chavez Middle School | 766 | 813 |
| Bell’s Hill Elementary School | 753 | 781 |
| Indian Spring Middle School | 750 | 776 |
| La Vega Elementary School | 604 | 672 |
| La Vega Intermediate H. P. Miles Campus | 585 | 634 |
| Dean Highland Elementary School | 559 | 597 |
| Lake Air Montessori School | 507 | 711 |
| Harmony School of Innovation – Waco | 503 | 606 |
| Harmony Science Academy (Waco) | 499 | 566 |
| Alta Vista Elementary School | 492 | 528 |
| La Vega Primary Phil Bancale Campus | 488 | 499 |
| Parkdale Elementary School | 484 | 520 |
| Connally High School | 482 | 621 |
| Midway Middle School | 477 | 1,089 |
| South Waco Elementary School | 447 | 477 |
| Crestview Elementary School | 446 | 473 |
| Connally Junior High School | 444 | 535 |
| Kendrick Elementary School | 444 | 469 |
| Connally Primary School | 428 | 498 |
| Cedar Ridge Elementary School | 425 | 450 |
| La Vega Junior High George Dixon Campus | 398 | 438 |
| Junior High Hines Elementary School | 394 | 395 |
| Provident Heights Elementary School | 371 | 398 |
| Brook Avenue Elementary School | 364 | 373 |
| Audre and Bernard Rapoport Academy | 324 | 399 |
| Connally Elementary School | 307 | 354 |
| Castleman Creek Elementary School | 303 | 587 |
| Hewitt Elementary School | 298 | 498 |
| Mountainview Elementary School | 297 | 349 |
| Hillcrest Pds Magnet | 289 | 433 |
| Robinson High School | 274 | 717 |
| China Spring High School | 274 | 941 |
| McGregor Elementary School | 268 | 473 |
| Mart Elementary School | 267 | 362 |
| West Avenue Elementary School | 265 | 276 |
| China Spring Elementary School | 258 | 657 |
| West Elementary School | 255 | 605 |
| Connally Early Childhood Center | 250 | 274 |
| Robinson Intermediate School | 231 | 560 |
| McGregor High School | 216 | 427 |
| Spring Valley Elementary School | 211 | 483 |
| Gholson School | 200 | 269 |
| Quinn Campus Public Middle School | 197 | 258 |
| Robinson Primary School | 190 | 393 |
| Isbill Junior High School | 187 | 345 |
