schoolsbycounty

Dawson County Schools & Education

School Score

66/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

93.7%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

93.7%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 91.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,503

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,498

School Score

66/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 56/100

State Score Position

#68

of 253 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Dawson County

Measured School Summary

Dawson County performs at an average level with a school score of 66/100 and a solid graduation rate of 93.7%.

Funding Context

At $7,503 per pupil, Dawson County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 17% above the Texas average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 2.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 0% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Dawson 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

4 public schools and 4 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

66/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #68 of 253 Texas counties with school score data.

Completion

93.7%

2.1 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,503

roughly matches the state average

School coverage

4

4 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Dawson County has 4 public schools across 4 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.

Parent decision brief

What Dawson 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.

Mixed school landscape

Dawson County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#68

of 253 Texas counties with school score data. The county score is 10 points above 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.

LAMESA ISD

Other grade structure

1,588 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

KLONDIKE ISD

Other grade structure

254 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

SANDS CISD

Other grade structure

240 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

DAWSON ISD

Other grade structure

139 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

DAWSON ISD is the largest listed district slice, with 1 school. 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 Dawson County?

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

Where do students transition after the visible grade band, and is that next school inside the same district path?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

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

Data Story

Dawson County Education Consolidated into PK-12 Format

Education data brief for Dawson County, Texas.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor
Lead metric:District structure

The public education system in Dawson County is characterized by a unique district structure where all four schools are classified as "other" types serving grades PK-12 rather than separate elementary, middle, or high schools. This consolidated model serves a total enrollment of 2,221 students across four rural and town-based districts. The largest of these is Lamesa ISD, which operates Lamesa Schools with 1,588 students. Despite this unconventional structure, the county reports a 93.7% graduation rate, which exceeds both the Texas state average of 91.6% and the national average of 87.0%. The county’s composite school score of 65.8 also stands above the state average of 56.3 and the national median of 50.0. Per-pupil expenditure is $7,503, aligning closely with the Texas average of $7,498 but remaining below the national benchmark of $13,000. These statistics offer a baseline for understanding the localized school organization in the region. Consult the NCES directory for specific district boundaries and school classifications.

Sources

School Overview

Total Schools

4

in Dawson County

Reported Enrollment

2,221

4 schools reporting

School Districts

4

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary0
Middle0
High0
Other4

4 School Districts in Dawson County

LAMESA ISD

1 school
1,588 students

KLONDIKE ISD

1 school
254 students

SANDS CISD

1 school
240 students

DAWSON ISD

1 school
139 students

4 Public Schools in Dawson County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Level

Showing 4 of 4 matching schools

LAMESA SCHOOLS

LAMESA ISD

LAMESA, 79331 / Town: Remote

ProfilePK–12Other1,588 students

KLONDIKE ISD

KLONDIKE ISD

LAMESA, 79331 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–12Other254 students

SANDS CISD

SANDS CISD

ACKERLY, 79713 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–12Other240 students

DAWSON SCHOOL

DAWSON ISD

WELCH, 79377 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–12Other139 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,503

State avg $7,498

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Dawson 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 Dawson County?
Dawson County has a school score of 66/100, which is a midrange 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 Dawson County?
The high school graduation rate in Dawson County is 93.7%, 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 Dawson County spend per student?
Dawson County spends $7,503 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

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed 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.