Can I use Bell County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Bell County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Bell County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Bell County?

Start with the 110 listed public schools and 11 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Bell County Schools & Education

Name: Bell County, Texas Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Bell County, Texas

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

89.3%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

89.3%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 91.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,256

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,498

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 56/100

State Score Position

#235

of 253 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Bell County

Measured School Summary

Bell County faces educational challenges with a school score of 33/100 and a graduation rate of 89.3%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,256 per pupil, Bell County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 41% below the Texas average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 17% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Bell County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

110 public schools and 11 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

33/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #235 of 253 Texas counties with school score data.

Completion

89.3%

2.3 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,256

$1,242 below the state average

School coverage

110

11 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Bell County has 110 public schools across 11 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Bell County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Large multi-district county

Bell County has many school records across many districts. County averages are only the opening screen; neighborhood-level assignment and grade-band fit matter more here.

State position

#235

of 253 Texas counties with school score data. The county score is 23 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

KILLEEN ISD

Elementary to high school visible

40,273 students

Elementary 29Middle 11High 8Other 1

49 listed schools in this county slice.

BELTON ISD

Elementary to high school visible

13,644 students

Elementary 10Middle 4High 2Other 2

18 listed schools in this county slice.

TEMPLE ISD

Elementary to high school visible

8,615 students

Elementary 8Middle 3High 2Other 3

16 listed schools in this county slice.

SALADO ISD

Elementary to high school visible

2,336 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

KILLEEN ISD is the largest listed district slice, with 54 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Bell County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Bell County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Bell County Composite School Score Falls Below State Median

Education data brief for Bell County, Texas.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Bell County reports a composite school score of 33.0, which is significantly lower than the Texas state average of 56.3 and the national median of 50.0. The county's educational landscape is defined by its scale, serving 71,019 students across 110 schools and 11 districts. Killeen ISD is the largest provider, overseeing 54 schools and 43,935 students. The county has a high concentration of city-based schools (53 campuses) and includes 16 alternative schools and 5 charter schools. While the graduation rate of 89.3% is slightly above the national average of 87.0%, it trails the Texas state average of 91.6%. Funding per pupil is $6,256, which is lower than both the state average of $7,498 and the national benchmark of $13,000. Harker Heights High School is the largest campus in the county, enrolling 2,359 students. Compare district boundaries and campus types before drawing conclusions regarding local performance metrics.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

110

in Bell County

Reported Enrollment

71,019

110 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

5% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary56

Middle23

High21

Other10

11 School Districts in Bell County

KILLEEN ISD

BELTON ISD

TEMPLE ISD

SALADO ISD

4 schools

2,336 students

ACADEMY ISD

5 schools

1,835 students

RICHARD MILBURN ALTER HIGH SCHOOL (KILLEEN)

9 schools

1,693 students

TROY ISD

5 schools

1,690 students

ROGERS ISD

4 schools

880 students

PRIORITY CHARTER SCHOOLS

4 schools

751 students

HOLLAND ISD

3 schools

634 students

110 Public Schools in Bell County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 17 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 110 matching schools

Public schools in Bell County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
HARKER HEIGHTS H S	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	HARKER HEIGHTS, 76548Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	2,359
TEMPLE H S	Profile	TEMPLE ISD	TEMPLE, 76504City: Small	8–12	High	2,305
LAKE BELTON H S	Profile	BELTON ISD	TEMPLE, 76502City: Small	9–12	High	2,181
ROBERT M SHOEMAKER H S	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76549City: Midsize	9–12	High	2,175
KILLEEN H S	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76543City: Midsize	9–12	High	2,076
BELTON H S	Profile	BELTON ISD	BELTON, 76513Suburb: Small	9–12	High	1,941
CHAPARRAL H S	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76542City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,711
C E ELLISON H S	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76542City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,682
ROY J SMITH MIDDLE	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76549Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,327
NOLAN MIDDLE	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	HARKER HEIGHTS, 76548Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	1,178
KILLEEN EL	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76541City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	1,135
THOMAS ARNOLD EL	Profile	SALADO ISD	SALADO, 76571Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	1,029
CLIFTON PARK EL	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76541City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	1,026
CHARLES E PATTERSON MIDDLE	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76542Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,003
PERSHING PARK EL	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76549City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	1,001
ALICE W DOUSE EL	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76542Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	970
SAEGERT EL	Profile	KILLEEN ISD	KILLEEN, 76542City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	954
SKIPCHA EL	Record	KILLEEN ISD	HARKER HEIGHTS, 76548Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	925
CHISHOLM TRAIL EL	Record	BELTON ISD	BELTON, 76513Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	868
NORTH BELTON MIDDLE	Record	BELTON ISD	TEMPLE, 76502City: Small	6–8	Middle	857

HARKER HEIGHTS H S

KILLEEN ISD

HARKER HEIGHTS, 76548 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,359 students

TEMPLE H S

TEMPLE ISD

TEMPLE, 76504 / City: Small

Profile8–12High2,305 students

LAKE BELTON H S

BELTON ISD

TEMPLE, 76502 / City: Small

Profile9–12High2,181 students

ROBERT M SHOEMAKER H S

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76549 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,175 students

KILLEEN H S

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76543 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,076 students

BELTON H S

BELTON ISD

BELTON, 76513 / Suburb: Small

Profile9–12High1,941 students

CHAPARRAL H S

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76542 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,711 students

C E ELLISON H S

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76542 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,682 students

ROY J SMITH MIDDLE

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76549 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,327 students

NOLAN MIDDLE

KILLEEN ISD

HARKER HEIGHTS, 76548 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile6–8Middle1,178 students

KILLEEN EL

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76541 / City: Midsize

ProfilePK–5Primary1,135 students

THOMAS ARNOLD EL

SALADO ISD

SALADO, 76571 / Rural: Distant

ProfilePK–5Primary1,029 students

CLIFTON PARK EL

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76541 / City: Midsize

ProfilePK–5Primary1,026 students

CHARLES E PATTERSON MIDDLE

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76542 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,003 students

PERSHING PARK EL

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76549 / City: Midsize

ProfilePK–5Primary1,001 students

ALICE W DOUSE EL

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76542 / Rural: Fringe

ProfilePK–5Primary970 students

SAEGERT EL

KILLEEN ISD

KILLEEN, 76542 / City: Midsize

ProfilePK–5Primary954 students

SKIPCHA EL

KILLEEN ISD

HARKER HEIGHTS, 76548 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary925 students

CHISHOLM TRAIL EL

BELTON ISD

BELTON, 76513 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary868 students

NORTH BELTON MIDDLE

BELTON ISD

TEMPLE, 76502 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle857 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,256

State avg $7,498

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Bell County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Texas counties have the highest graduation rates?

Moore County (98.5%), Rockwall County (98.5%), and Titus County (97.8%) currently lead Texas among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Texas?

Across Texas counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,498. The highest current county values are Glasscock County ($12,819), Borden County ($12,654), and King County ($12,630). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Bell County?

Bell County has a school score of 33/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Bell County?

The high school graduation rate in Bell County is 89.3%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Bell County spend per student?

Bell County spends $6,256 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Hays County

Texas

+0 pts

33/100

School score

Denton County

Texas

+0 pts

33/100

School score

Zavala County

Texas

+0 pts

33/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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