Education
Tuesday, 30 June 2009 15:11 Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 15:15
The total number of public independent school districts in Cooke County for the school year 1999-2000 was 9 according to the Texas Education Agency. The overall average daily attendance for the same year was 5,715.Enrollment: School enrollment data from the 2000 Census showed that there were 9,620 persons in the population who were 3 years of age and older and enrolled in school in the study area during the census collection period. Of this population, the following table shows a breakdown of what types of schools persons were enrolled compared to similar statewide information:
| Type of School | Count | Area Percent |
Statewide Percent |
| Nursery school or preschool | 617 | 6.4 | 6.6 |
| Kindergarten | 397 | 4.1 | 5.9 |
| Elementary School (grades 1-8) | 4,743 | 49.3 | 45.5 |
| High School (grades 9-12) | 2,325 | 24.2 | 21.9 |
| College or graduate school | 1,538 | 16.0 | 20.2 |
Educational Attainment: The total number of persons 25 years of age or older who responded to the level of educational attainment during the 2000 Census was 23,148. Of those persons, the following presents a table on various levels of educational attainment for this region compared to statewide percentages:
| Educational Attainment | Count | Area Percent |
Statewide Percent |
| Less than 9th Grade | 1,741 | 7.5 | 11.5 |
| 9th to 12th grade, no diploma | 3,074 | 13.3 | 12.9 |
| H.S. graduate (inc. equiv.) | 7,296 | 31.5 | 24.8 |
| Some college, no degree | 5,831 | 25.2 | 22.4 |
| Associate Degree | 1,572 | 6.8 | 5.2 |
| Bachelor's Degree | 2,411 | 10.4 | 15.6 |
| Graduate or Prof. Degree | 1,223 | 5.3 | 7.6 |
Another useful grouping of these statistics shows that the percent of high school graduates or higher was 79.2 percent for the area compared to 75.7 percent for Texas. Also, the percent with bachelor's degree or higher was 15.7 percent as compared to 23.2 percent for Texas.
Dropout and Attrition Rates: Information from the Texas Education Agency on student dropouts from public schools for 2004-2005 shows that 15 students, grades 7-12, dropped out of school in this study area. This represents a dropout rate of 0.49 percent as compared to a Texas statewide percentage of 0.90 percent of all students who dropped out during this period. Attrition rates are often viewed as measures of the percentage of students that begin high school but do not graduate with a diploma. It is arguably a more reasonable way to view dropouts from an economic viewpoint. One way to view educational progress in a region is to estimate the number of persons who persist to high school graduation as opposed to standard dropout statistics. Attrition rates are calculated by the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA). IDRA conducts research and development activities; creates, implements and administers innovative education programs; and provides teacher, administrator, and parent training and technical assistance. The attrition rates for Cooke County during the period 2004-2005 by race and ethnicity were 28 percent for all students, 16 percent for Blacks, 24 percent for Whites, and 51 percent for Hispanics. In order to review the latest Secondary Schools Enrollment and Dropouts information posted on the Texas Education Agency, link to: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/research/.