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, Three 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.
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 ) 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.
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.
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%.
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". 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
List of schools
Secondary schools
High schools
UIL 6A Schools
Mesquite High School
Dr. John D. Horn High School
Vanguard High School
UIL 5A Schools
North Mesquite High School
West Mesquite High School
Dr. Ralph H. Poteet High School
Middle schools
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 (Opening Fall 2023) 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
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) 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