Mesquite Independent School District
{{short description|School district in Texas}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox school district
| name = Mesquite Independent School District
| logo = File:Mesquite Independent School District logo.jpg
| motto = “Quest For Excellence"
| type = Public
| established = {{start date and age|1901}}
| region =
| superintendent = Dr. Ángel Rivera
| deputy_superintendent =
| asst_superintendents = Dr. Janine Fields, Dr. Jennifer Hammett, Dr. Leslie Feinglas, Dr. Andrea Hensley, Taylor Morris, Gilbert Prado, Laura Jobe.
| teachers = 2,646 (2020-21)
| schools = 52
| students = 38,378 (2020-21)
| ratio = 14.5 (2020-21)
| conference =
| free_label =
| free_text =
| location = 3819 Towne Crossing Boulevard, Mesquite, TX, 75150
| country = United States of America
| website = [http://www.mesquiteisd.org www.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.{{Cite web |title=Leadership Team - Mesquite ISD 2022 |url=https://www.mesquiteisd.org/who-we-are/leadership-team |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=www.mesquiteisd.org |language=en-US}}
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 {{Cite web |url=https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/dfwvarsity/prep-football/article170468092.html |title=How big are Texas' high school football stadiums? 10,000 doesn't crack to the top 50 |last=STEVENSON |first=STEFAN |date=2017-08-31 |website=Star Telegram |language=en |access-date=2018-12-06}}) 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.{{cite web|url=http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/cgi/sas/broker |title=2011 Accountability Summary |publisher=Texas Education Agency |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130219165640/http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/cgi/sas/broker |archive-date=2013-02-19 }}
Demographics
{{expand section|date=October 2019}}
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.{{cite web|author=Nicholson, Eric|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/in-dallas-white-flight-never-ends-8265092|title=In Dallas, White Flight Never Ends|work=Dallas Observer|date=2016-05-03|access-date=2019-10-29}}
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%.
Boundary
The district, in Dallas County, includes most of Mesquite and portions of Balch Springs, Dallas, Garland, and Seagoville.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48113_dallas/DC20SD_C48113.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48113_dallas/DC20SD_C48113.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Dallas County, TX|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=September 26, 2024}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48113_dallas/DC20SD_C48113_SD2MS.txt Text list]
Before 2009, Sunnyvale Independent School District sent high school students to North Mesquite High School in MISD.{{cite web|author=Korosec, Thomas|url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2012/march/sunnyvale-the-whitest-town-in-north-texas/|title=Sunnyvale: The Whitest Town in North Texas|work=D Magazine|date=March 2012|accessdate=October 30, 2019}}
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".{{Citation
| last = Holloway
| first = Karel
| title = Pre-K student, Mesquite ISD tangled up in dress code fight over hair
| newspaper = Dallas News
| date = Dec 16, 2009
| url = http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/DN-meshair_16met.ART.State.Edition2.4be91f6.html
| access-date = Dec 18, 2009
}} In the 1970s the district sent a boy home from school because his hair touched his collar. This caused national attention.
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 {{Cite web |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2014/08/30/mesquite-schools-keom-fm-radio-is-a-power-in-wattage-and-education |title=Mesquite schools’ KEOM-FM radio is a power in wattage and education |last= Leszcynski |first=Ray |date=2014-08-30 |website=Dallas News |language=en |access-date=2018-12-06}}
List of schools
=Secondary schools=
==High schools==
File:Mesquite Independent School District July 2019 07 (Mesquite High School).jpg|alt=]]
UIL 6A Schools
:* Dr. John D. Horn High School
UIL 5A Schools
:* Dr. Ralph H. Poteet High School
:* Vanguard High School
==Middle schools==
File:Mesquite Independent School District July 2019 10 (R. S. Kimbrough Middle School).jpg
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
File:Mesquite Independent School District July 2019 09 (C. W. Beasley Elementary School).jpg
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[http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002 (PDF)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326055622/http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf |date=2009-03-26 }})
:*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
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.mesquiteisd.org}}
- [http://www.mesquitefoundation.org/ Mesquite ISD Education Foundation]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060906162455/http://www.mesquiteisd.org/studentpol/standarddress.html Standard Dress Code policy information]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928035749/http://www.friendsofmcwhorterpark.com/ Neighborhood Park Initiative]
{{Mesquite, Texas}}
{{Dallas County, Texas Schools}}
{{Education in Dallas County, Texas}}
{{Region 10 School Districts in Texas}}
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Category:School districts in Dallas County, Texas
Category:School districts in Dallas
Category:Education in Garland, Texas