Port Arthur Independent School District enrolled total of 8,155 students in 2023-24 school year

There were 8,155 students enrolled in Port Arthur Independent School District during the 2023-24 school year, the same amount as the previous year’s 8,152 students welcomed, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Among the student body, 51.8% were boys and 48.2% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were Hispanic (4,265), representing 52.3% of the district’s total enrollment. Black students followed with the second-largest group, totaling 3,256 students (39.9%).

The grade level with the highest enrollment was third grade, with 675 students enrolled that year, accounting for 8.3% of the total student body.

The district covers 14 schools, and has a central office in Port Arthur.

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 the state’s 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.