Total enrollment
5,174
+36 (+1%) vs SY 2020-21
Shelby County
Texas · Public K-12
Shelby County operates 13 public K-12 schools inside Texas, with combined enrollment of approximately 5,174 (about 398 students per school). That works out to 4 elementary, 1 middle, and 2 high schools.
4-year change in Shelby County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
10
-2 (-17%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Shelby County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Texas | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 42.4% | #137 of 192 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 5,174 | #99 of 196 | #1,300 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 10 | #129 of 196 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.6:1 | #64 of 196 | #773 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 71.4% | #40 of 196 | #709 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 65.7% | #29 of 192 | #297 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.
Shelby County school rankings
Residents
24,155
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
13
6 districts
Enrollment
5,174
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$49,776
Below Texas avg
Free/reduced lunch
71.4%
Above Texas avg
Elementary
4
1,192 students
Middle
1
496 students
High
2
705 students
Combined / other
6
2,781 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
CENTER ISD
2,307 students · 6 districts in Shelby County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Shelby 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+
15.1%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
17.2%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.1%
civilian labor
Median age
39
26.0% under 18
Test scores in Shelby County
Latest 2025-26 ELA proficiency, 8 schools ranked. Texas state average: 55.6%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- SHELBYVILLE SCHOOL· 62.0%
- JOAQUIN SCHOOLS· 59.0%
- TIMPSON SCHOOL· 56.0%
- CENTER MIDDLE· 52.0%
- EXCELSIOR EL· 49.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- CENTER EL· 33.0%
- TENAHA SCHOOLS· 43.0%
- CENTER H S· 44.0%
- EXCELSIOR EL· 49.0%
- CENTER MIDDLE· 52.0%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHELBYVILLE SCHOOL | Shelbyville | Combined | PK-12 | 891 | · |
| TIMPSON SCHOOL | Timpson | Combined | PK-12 | 756 | · |
| JOAQUIN SCHOOLS | Joaquin | Combined | PK-12 | 720 | · |
| CENTER H S | Center | High | 09-12 | 662 | · |
| F L MOFFETT PRI | Center | Elementary | PK-02 | 630 | · |
| CENTER MIDDLE | Center | Middle | 06-08 | 496 | · |
| CENTER EL | Center | Elementary | 03-05 | 476 | · |
| TENAHA SCHOOLS | Tenaha | Combined | PK-12 | 414 | · |
| EXCELSIOR EL | Center | Elementary | PK-08 | 86 | · |
| ROUGHRIDER ACADEMY | Center | High | 09-12 | 43 | · |
| EXCELSIOR H S | Center | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| JOAQUIN EL | Joaquin | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| JOAQUIN J H SCHOOL | Joaquin | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Shelby County
About Shelby County
Shelby County is a rural-scale Texas county of about 24,155 residents, home to 13 public schools and roughly 5,174 students.
Zooming out, census numbers show median household income runs near $49,776, about 15% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate is around 17%. That income level is 25% below the Texas median.
On the school-mix side, Shelby County consists of 4 elementary schools (1,192 students), 1 middle school (496), 2 high schools (705), and 6 combined or other schools.
CENTER ISD is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 2,307 students across Shelby County.
Looking at the last 4 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 5,174 students, held roughly steady from the 5,138 reported in SY 2020-21. Over that span, Shelby County lost 2 schools, going from 12 to 10.
On this page, the community for Shelby County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data