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

No. Use the Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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 Caldwell County?

Start with the 15 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Caldwell County Schools & Education

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

Caldwell County, Texas

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

School Score

36/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

90.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 91.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,144

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,498

School Score

36/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 56/100

State Score Position

#227

of 253 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Caldwell County

Measured School Summary

Despite a lower school score of 36/100, Caldwell County maintains a strong graduation rate of 90.6%, suggesting effective student support systems.

Funding Context

At $6,144 per pupil, Caldwell County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 35% below the Texas average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 18% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Caldwell 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

15 public schools and 3 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

36/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #227 of 253 Texas counties with school score data.

Completion

90.6%

1.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,144

$1,354 below the state average

School coverage

3 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

Caldwell County has 15 public schools across 3 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 Caldwell 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.

Dominant-district county

LOCKHART ISD carries most of the listed public-school system, with 9 of 15 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#227

of 253 Texas counties with school score data. The county score is 20 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.

LOCKHART ISD

Elementary to high school visible

6,443 students

Elementary 5Middle 1High 2Other 1

9 listed schools in this county slice.

LULING ISD

Elementary to high school visible

1,416 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

PRAIRIE LEA ISD

Other grade structure

229 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

LOCKHART ISD is the largest listed district slice, with 9 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 Caldwell County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Caldwell 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

Caldwell County Composite School Score Falls Below State and National Medians

Education data brief for Caldwell County, Texas.

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

Lead metric:School score

Caldwell County records a composite school score of 36.3, placing it below the Texas state average of 56.3 and the national median of 50.0. While the school score is lower than these benchmarks, the county's graduation rate is 90.6%, which remains above the national average of 87.0% though slightly below the state average of 91.6%. Per-pupil spending is $6,144, significantly lower than the national average of $13,000. NCES data reveals that the county has 15 public schools, including two charter schools representing 13.3% of the total. The largest district is Lockhart ISD, which serves 6,443 students, more than 75% of the county's total enrollment of 8,436. Lockhart High School is the largest individual campus with 1,968 students. Compare local district performance data through the NCES Common Core of Data for further context.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Caldwell County

Reported Enrollment

8,436

15 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

13% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary6

Middle2

High5

Other2

3 School Districts in Caldwell County

LOCKHART ISD

LULING ISD

3 schools

1,416 students

PRAIRIE LEA ISD

1 school

229 students

15 Public Schools in Caldwell County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 2 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 15 of 15 matching schools

Public schools in Caldwell County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
LOCKHART H S	Profile	LOCKHART ISD	LOCKHART, 78644Town: Fringe	9–12	High	1,968
LOCKHART J H	Profile	LOCKHART ISD	LOCKHART, 78644Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,433
LEONARD SHANKLIN EL	Record	LULING ISD	LULING, 78648Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	699
NAVARRO EL	Record	LOCKHART ISD	LOCKHART, 78644Town: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	580
BLUEBONNET EL	Record	LOCKHART ISD	LOCKHART, 78644Town: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	550
ALMA BREWER STRAWN EL	Record	LOCKHART ISD	DALE, 78616Rural: Distant	KG–5	Primary	523
CLEAR FORK EL	Record	LOCKHART ISD	LOCKHART, 78644Town: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	517
PLUM CREEK EL	Record	LOCKHART ISD	LOCKHART, 78644Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	503
LULING H S	Record	LULING ISD	LULING, 78648Town: Distant	9–12	High	407
GILBERT GERDES J H	Record	LULING ISD	LULING, 78648Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	310
GEORGE W CARVER EARLY EDUCATION CENTER	Record	LOCKHART ISD	LOCKHART, 78644Rural: Fringe	PK	Other	308
PRAIRIE LEA SCHOOL	Record	PRAIRIE LEA ISD	PRAIRIE LEA, 78661Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	229
THE EXCEL CENTER FOR ADULTS - LOCKHART	Record	THE EXCEL CENTER (FOR ADULTS)	AUSTIN, 78753Town: Fringe	8–12	Charter	189
TRINITY CHARTER SCHOOLS - LOCKHART CAMPUS	Record	TRINITY CHARTER SCHOOL	LOCKHART, 78644Rural: Fringe	5–12	Charter	159
LOCKHART PRIDE H S	Record	LOCKHART ISD	LOCKHART, 78644Town: Fringe	9–12	Alternative	61

LOCKHART H S

LOCKHART ISD

LOCKHART, 78644 / Town: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,968 students

LOCKHART J H

LOCKHART ISD

LOCKHART, 78644 / Town: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,433 students

LEONARD SHANKLIN EL

LULING ISD

LULING, 78648 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary699 students

NAVARRO EL

LOCKHART ISD

LOCKHART, 78644 / Town: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary580 students

BLUEBONNET EL

LOCKHART ISD

LOCKHART, 78644 / Town: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary550 students

ALMA BREWER STRAWN EL

LOCKHART ISD

DALE, 78616 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary523 students

CLEAR FORK EL

LOCKHART ISD

LOCKHART, 78644 / Town: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary517 students

PLUM CREEK EL

LOCKHART ISD

LOCKHART, 78644 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary503 students

LULING H S

LULING ISD

LULING, 78648 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High407 students

GILBERT GERDES J H

LULING ISD

LULING, 78648 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle310 students

GEORGE W CARVER EARLY EDUCATION CENTER

LOCKHART ISD

LOCKHART, 78644 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPKOther308 students

PRAIRIE LEA SCHOOL

PRAIRIE LEA ISD

PRAIRIE LEA, 78661 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–12Other229 students

THE EXCEL CENTER FOR ADULTS - LOCKHART

THE EXCEL CENTER (FOR ADULTS)

AUSTIN, 78753 / Town: Fringe

Record8–12Charter189 students

TRINITY CHARTER SCHOOLS - LOCKHART CAMPUS

TRINITY CHARTER SCHOOL

LOCKHART, 78644 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–12Charter159 students

LOCKHART PRIDE H S

LOCKHART ISD

LOCKHART, 78644 / Town: Fringe

Record9–12Alternative61 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,144

State avg $7,498

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Caldwell 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 Caldwell County?

Caldwell County has a school score of 36/100, 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 Caldwell County?

The high school graduation rate in Caldwell County is 90.6%, 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 Caldwell County spend per student?

Caldwell County spends $6,144 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

Nueces County

Texas

+0 pts

36/100

School score

Uvalde County

Texas

+0 pts

37/100

School score

Real County

Texas

+1 pts

37/100

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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