Longview Times

The majority of students in Upshur County districts were white in the 2021-22 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Of the 9,142 students attending Upshur County district schools, 66.1% were white. Hispanic students were the second largest ethnicity, making up 18.1% of Upshur County districts' students.

In the previous school year, white students still were the most common group in Upshur County districts, representing 67.3% of the student body.

Gilmer ISD, Ore City ISD and Union Grove ISD had the most diverse student body in the county, including white, American Indian, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Multi-racial.

In the 2021-22 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county increased 0.9% compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Upshur 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
Big Sandy ISD	white	68.9%	659
Gilmer ISD	white	58.7%	2,678
Gladewater ISD	white	53.1%	1,703
Harmony ISD	white	76.3%	1,037
New Diana ISD	white	75.2%	1,217
Ore City ISD	white	68.3%	861
Union Grove ISD	white	86.6%	703
Union Hill ISD	white	73.9%	284