Waco Reporter

There were 33 African American students enrolled in Lorena ISD schools in the 2021-22 school year, 17.5% less than the previous year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Data showed that Lorena ISD schools welcomed 1,766 students during the 2021-22 school year. Among them, African American students comprised 1.9% of the student body to be one of the least represented ethnicities in the district.

Lorena ISD roughly covers schools within McLennan County and has a main office in Lorena.

Among the five schools in Lorena ISD schools, Lorena High School recorded the highest enrollment of African American students in the 2021-22 school year, with a total of 13 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.

Year	Total District Enrollment	Total of African American Students	African American students %
2021-22	1,766	33	1.9
2020-21	1,741	40	2.3
2019-20	1,752	31	1.8