Mesquite Independent School District

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.

Mesquite Independent School District
Location
3819 Towne Crossing Boulevard, Mesquite, TX, 75150 United States of America
District information
Type	Public
Motto	“Quest For Excellence"
Grades	PK - 12
Established	1901; 124 years ago (1901)
Superintendent	Dr. Ángel Rivera
Asst. superintendent(s)	Dr. Janine Fields, Dr. Jennifer Hammett, Dr. Leslie Feinglas, Dr. Andrea Hensley, Taylor Morris, Gilbert Prado, Laura Jobe.
Schools	52
Students and staff
Students	38,378 (2020-21)
Teachers	2,646 (2020-21)
Student–teacher ratio	14.5 (2020-21)
Other information
Website	www.mesquiteisd.org

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

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]

Boundary

The district, in Dallas County, includes most of Mesquite and portions of Balch Springs, Dallas, Garland, and Seagoville.^[5]

Before 2009, Sunnyvale Independent School District sent high school students to North Mesquite High School in MISD.^[6]

Standardized dress and dress codes

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".^[7] In the 1970s the district sent a boy home from school because his hair touched his collar. This caused national attention.^[7]

Radio station KEOM 88.5

Mesquite ISD operates an FM radio station called KEOM 88.5. This is the largest student radio station in the nation ^[8]

List of schools

Secondary schools

High schools

Mesquite High School

UIL 6A Schools

• Mesquite High School
• Dr. John D. Horn High School

UIL 5A Schools

• North Mesquite High School
• West Mesquite High School
• Dr. Ralph H. Poteet High School
• Vanguard High School

Middle schools

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

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^[9])
• 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

2 in Mesquite

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

See also

• Texas portal
• Schools portal

• List of school districts in Texas