Mesquite Independent School District

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Mesquite Independent School District
Location
3819 Towne Crossing Boulevard, Mesquite, TX, 75150
United States of America
District information
TypePublic
Motto“Quest For Excellence"
GradesPK - 12
Established1901; 123 years ago (1901)
SuperintendentDr. Ángel Rivera
Asst. superintendent(s)Dr. Janine Fields, Dr. Jennifer Hammett, Dr. Leslie Feinglas, Dr. Andrea Hensley, Taylor Morris, Gilbert Prado, Laura Jobe.
Schools52
Students and staff
Students38,378 (2020-21)
Teachers2,646 (2020-21)
Student–teacher ratio14.5 (2020-21)
Other information
Websitewww.mesquiteisd.org

The Mesquite Independent School District is a school district in Mesquite, Texas (USA) (incorporating most of Mesquite and portions of Balch Springs, Dallas, Garland, and Seagoville, as well as formerly serving all high school students of Sunnyvale) which follows the standard definition of an independent school district.

The district contains over 38,000 students. There are five main high schools, Two of which are AAAAAA (or 6A, the highest in a system of Texas school size classification). As of March 8, 2022, the superintendent is Dr. Ángel Rivera.[1]

All houses and residential areas in Mesquite ISD are each assigned to an elementary school (Pre-K-5 or K-5), a middle school (6-8), and a high school (9-12).

In addition, the MISD operates two high school football facilities for its high schools, Memorial Stadium near West Mesquite High School (which is the largest high-school football stadium in Texas, seating nearly 20,000 [2]) and E. H. Hanby Stadium, which is located adjacent to Mesquite High School.

In 2009, the school district was rated "Recognized" by the Texas Education Agency.[3]

Demographics[edit]

In 1997, 70.6% of the students were non-Hispanic white; of the four large suburban majority-white suburban school districts in the county, MISD had the highest percentage of white students. From that year to 2016 the number had declined by 68%, making it the most severe decline of the four districts.[4]

From 1997 to 2016 the number of students on free or reduced lunches, a way of classifying a student as low income, increased by 266%.[4]

Standardized dress and dress codes[edit]

The district has implemented standardized dress (similar to a school uniform) for middle and high school students, which started with the 2005 to 2006 school year. The districtwide dress code also dictates hair length and acceptable hair styles of male students. It was one of the first Dallas-area school districts to implement a formal dress code, and Karel Holloway of The Dallas Morning News wrote in 2009 that "The district is well-known for its conservative standards for dress".[5] In the 1970s the district sent a boy home from school because his hair touched his collar. This caused national attention.[5]

Radio station KEOM 88.5[edit]

Mesquite ISD operates an FM radio station called KEOM 88.5. This is the largest student radio station in the nation [6]

List of schools[edit]

Secondary schools[edit]

High schools[edit]

Mesquite High School

UIL 6A Schools

UIL 5A Schools

Middle schools[edit]

R. S. Kimbrough Middle School

Grades 6-8

9 in Mesquite, 1 in Balch Springs

  • A. C. New Middle School (Balch Springs)
  • Frank B. Agnew Middle School
  • Judge Frank Berry Middle School
  • Dr. James P. Terry Middle School
  • Lanny Frasier Middle School
  • R. S. Kimbrough Middle School
  • T. H. McDonald Middle School
  • Ed F. Vanston Middle School
  • Walter L. Wilkinson Middle School
  • Dr. Don P. Woolley Middle School

Elementary schools[edit]

28 in Mesquite, 4 in Balch Springs, 1 in Garland, 1 in Dallas

Grades PreK-5

  • Don Achziger Elementary School
  • Ben & Jo Ann Cross Elementary School
  • Walter E. Floyd Elementary School (Balch Springs)
  • Bonnie Gentry Elementary School
  • W. O. Gray Elementary School (Balch Springs)
  • John L. Hanby Elementary School
  • Ed Hodges Elementary School (Balch Springs)
  • Sue Ann Mackey Elementary School (Balch Springs)
  • Ferd A. McWhorter Elementary School
  • Ben F. Tisinger Elementary School
  • Dr. Joey Pirrung Elementary School
  • J. H. Florence Elementary School
  • Bedford Galloway Elementary School
  • Zack Motley Elementary School
  • G. R. Porter Elementary School
  • Elsie Shands Elementary School
  • S. M. Seabourn Elementary School
C. W. Beasley Elementary School

Grades K-5

  • J. C. Austin Elementary School
  • C. W. Beasley Elementary School
  • Florence Black Elementary School
  • Dr. J. C. Cannaday Elementary School
  • Dr. Linda Henrie Elementary School (Dallas)
  • Georgia W. Kimball Elementary School
  • Joe Lawrence Elementary School
  • E.S. McKenzie Elementary School
  • Mary L. Moss Elementary School (1996-97 National Blue Ribbon School[7])
  • Vernon Price Elementary School (Garland)
  • I. N. Range Elementary School
  • J. C. Rugel Elementary School
  • Sam Rutherford Elementary School
  • Ruby Shaw Elementary School
  • B. J. Smith Elementary School
  • Jay Thompson Elementary School
  • Charles A. Tosch Elementary School

Other[edit]

2 in Mesquite

  • Mesquite Academy, K-12 alternative school
  • Mesquite Learning Center, K-12 Intervention Center for MIC and Challenge

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Leadership Team - Mesquite ISD 2022". www.mesquiteisd.org. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  2. ^ STEVENSON, STEFAN (2017-08-31). "How big are Texas' high school football stadiums? 10,000 doesn't crack to the top 50". Star Telegram. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  3. ^ "2011 Accountability Summary". Texas Education Agency. Archived from the original on 2013-02-19.
  4. ^ a b Nicholson, Eric (2016-05-03). "In Dallas, White Flight Never Ends". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  5. ^ a b Holloway, Karel (Dec 16, 2009), "Pre-K student, Mesquite ISD tangled up in dress code fight over hair", Dallas News, retrieved Dec 18, 2009
  6. ^ Leszcynski, Ray (2014-08-30). "Mesquite schools' KEOM-FM radio is a power in wattage and education". Dallas News. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  7. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002 (PDF) Archived 2009-03-26 at the Wayback Machine

External links[edit]