Howard County Schools & Education
Howard County, Texas
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
16/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
78.3%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
78.3%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 91.6%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,417
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,498
School Score
16/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 56/100
State Score Position
#251
of 253 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Howard County
Measured School Summary
Howard County faces educational challenges with a school score of 16/100 and a graduation rate of 78.3%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $6,417 per pupil, Howard County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 71% below the Texas average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 13.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 14% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Howard 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
14 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
16/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #251 of 253 Texas counties with school score data.
Completion
78.3%
13.3 pts below the state average
Funding context
$6,417
$1,081 below the state average
School coverage
14
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
Howard County has 14 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.
What Howard 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
BIG SPRING ISD carries most of the listed public-school system, with 9 of 14 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#251
of 253 Texas counties with school score data. The county score is 40 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.
BIG SPRING ISD
Elementary to high school visible
3,510 students
9 listed schools in this county slice.
COAHOMA ISD
Elementary to high school visible
1,095 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
FORSAN ISD
Elementary and high visible
753 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
BIG SPRING 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 Howard County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Howard County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
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
Howard County school composite score significantly trails state benchmarks
Education data brief for Howard County, Texas.
Howard County records a composite school score of 16.1, which is notably lower than the Texas state average of 56.3 and the national median of 50.0. The county's graduation rate is 78.3%, trailing both the state average of 91.6% and the national benchmark of 87%. Financial data shows per-pupil expenditure at $6,417, which is approximately $1,000 less than the state average and less than half of the $13,000 spent nationally. The county manages 14 public schools serving 5,358 students, with Big Spring ISD being the largest district, accounting for 3,510 students and nine campuses. The directory includes one alternative school and no charter schools. Schools are distributed between town and rural settings, with Big Spring High School serving as the largest individual campus with 1,084 students. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
14
in Howard County
Reported Enrollment
5,358
14 schools reporting
School Districts
3
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
3 School Districts in Howard County
BIG SPRING ISD
GuideCOAHOMA ISD
FORSAN ISD
14 Public Schools in Howard 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 dataLevel
Showing 14 of 14 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIG SPRING H S | Profile | BIG SPRING ISD | BIG SPRING, 79720Town: Distant | 9–12 | High | 1,084 |
| COAHOMA EL | Record | COAHOMA ISD | COAHOMA, 79511Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 568 |
| BIG SPRING J H | Record | BIG SPRING ISD | BIG SPRING, 79721Town: Distant | 7–8 | Middle | 516 |
| BIG SPRING INT | Record | BIG SPRING ISD | BIG SPRING, 79720Town: Distant | 5–6 | Middle | 489 |
| MOSS EL | Record | BIG SPRING ISD | BIG SPRING, 79720Town: Distant | KG–2 | Primary | 461 |
| FORSAN H S | Record | FORSAN ISD | FORSAN, 79733Rural: Distant | 6–12 | High | 394 |
| MARCY EL | Record | BIG SPRING ISD | BIG SPRING, 79720Town: Distant | KG–2 | Primary | 360 |
| FORSAN EL | Record | FORSAN ISD | FORSAN, 79733Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 359 |
| WASHINGTON EL | Record | BIG SPRING ISD | BIG SPRING, 79720Town: Distant | 3 | Primary | 273 |
| COAHOMA H S | Record | COAHOMA ISD | COAHOMA, 79511Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 271 |
| COAHOMA J H | Record | COAHOMA ISD | COAHOMA, 79511Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 256 |
| GOLIAD EL | Record | BIG SPRING ISD | BIG SPRING, 79720Town: Distant | 4 | Primary | 232 |
| KENTWOOD EL | Record | BIG SPRING ISD | BIG SPRING, 79720Rural: Fringe | PK | Other | 95 |
| BIG SPRING DAEP | Record | BIG SPRING ISD | BIG SPRING, 79720Town: Distant | 5–12 | Alternative | 0 |
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,417
State avg $7,498
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Howard County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Texas counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Texas?
How should I read the school score in Howard County?
What is the graduation rate in Howard County?
How much does Howard County spend per student?
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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.