Total enrollment
6,064
+2,793 (+85%) vs SY 2020-21
Hale County
Texas · Public K-12
Hale County's public schools, 24 in all, serve approximately 6,064 K-12 students inside Texas, with Plainview ISD the largest district by enrollment. By level, that breaks down as 9 elementary, 4 middle, and 6 high schools.
4-year change in Hale County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
18
+7 (+64%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Hale County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Texas | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 41.0% | #148 of 192 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 6,064 | #89 of 196 | #1,158 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 18 | #73 of 196 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.5:1 | #60 of 196 | #705 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 72.7% | #33 of 196 | #668 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 39.1% | #151 of 192 | #1,511 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Hale County school rankings
Residents
32,131
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
24
11 districts
Enrollment
6,064
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$51,897
Below Texas avg
Free/reduced lunch
72.7%
Above Texas avg
Elementary
9
2,079 students
Middle
4
1,520 students
High
6
1,860 students
Combined / other
5
605 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
PLAINVIEW ISD
4,077 students · 11 districts in Hale County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Hale County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
15.3%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
15.9%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.3%
civilian labor
Median age
34
26.3% under 18
Test scores in Hale County
Latest 2025-26 ELA proficiency, 14 schools ranked. Texas state average: 55.6%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- PLAINVIEW CLASSICAL ACADEMY· 67.0%
- ABERNATHY EL· 64.0%
- ABERNATHY MIDDLE· 62.0%
- HALE CENTER H S· 61.0%
- ABERNATHY H S· 58.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- NORTH EL· 33.0%
- AKIN EL· 40.0%
- PLAINVIEW J H· 40.0%
- CENTRAL EL· 43.0%
- PLAINVIEW H S· 43.0%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLAINVIEW H S | Plainview | High | 09-12 | 1,418 | · |
| PLAINVIEW J H | Plainview | Middle | 07-08 | 634 | · |
| PLAINVIEW INT | Plainview | Middle | 05-06 | 554 | · |
| CENTRAL EL | Plainview | Elementary | PK-04 | 505 | · |
| NORTH EL | Plainview | Elementary | PK-04 | 492 | · |
| SOUTH EL | Plainview | Elementary | PK-04 | 456 | · |
| ABERNATHY EL | Abernathy | Elementary | PK-05 | 400 | · |
| PLAINVIEW CLASSICAL ACADEMY | Plainview | Combined | KG-12 | 262 | · |
| PETERSBURG SCHOOL | Petersburg | Combined | PK-12 | 243 | · |
| ABERNATHY H S | Abernathy | High | 09-12 | 237 | · |
| AKIN EL | Hale Center | Elementary | PK-04 | 226 | · |
| HALE CENTER H S | Hale Center | High | 09-12 | 174 | · |
| ABERNATHY MIDDLE | Abernathy | Middle | 06-08 | 171 | · |
| CARR MIDDLE | Hale Center | Middle | 05-08 | 161 | · |
| COTTON CENTER SCHOOL | Cotton Center | Combined | PK-12 | 100 | · |
| HALE COUNTY JJAEP | Plainview | High | 06-11 | 18 | · |
| LOCKNEY DAEP | Plainview | High | 08-11 | 7 | · |
| DAEP | Plainview | High | 09-10 | 6 | · |
| FLOYDADA ISD JJAEP | Plainview | Combined | 04-12 | 0 | · |
| ABERNATHY DAEP | Plainview | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| DAEP | Plainview | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| HALE CO J J A E P | Hale Center | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| HALE CO JJAEP | Plainview | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| MULLIN VISION QUEST | Hale Center | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Hale County
About Hale County
Hale County is a small Texas county of about 32,131 residents, home to 24 public schools and roughly 6,064 students.
Stepping back, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $51,897, 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 22% lower than the Texas median.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Hale County covers 9 elementary schools (2,079 students), 4 middle schools (1,520), 6 high schools (1,860), and 5 combined or other schools.
PLAINVIEW ISD is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 4,077 students across Hale County.
Over the past 4-year window. Combined enrollment now sits at 6,064 students, increased 85% from the 3,271 reported in SY 2020-21. The school count climbed from 11 to 18 across the same 4-year window.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Hale County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data