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Black Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

4062^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Black Elementary is a PK-5 public school in the Mesquite Independent School District (Isd), serving 587 students in a high-poverty area where about 87-88% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Black Elementary has experienced dramatic swings in performance. After reaching its best-ever ranking in the 2023-2024 school year, the school has seen a sharp decline, dropping to the bottom 12% of Texas elementary schools in the most recent data. This volatility is unusual compared to nearby schools like Hanby Elementary and Rutherford Elementary, which show more stable, mid-range performance despite serving similar student populations. The school's bilingual program stands out as a clear strength—students taking STAAR tests in Spanish consistently outperform the district and state by wide margins, with 77.78% of 3rd graders proficient in math compared to just 21.27% district-wide. However, this success does not translate to English-language tests, where scores remain well below average.

Several other factors raise concerns. The school's Gifted and Talented program ranks in the 15th percentile, suggesting the highest-achieving students are not being adequately challenged. Spending per student ($8,336) is in the middle of the pack compared to peers, indicating that funding alone is not the issue. For example, Moss Elementary spends more per student and achieves a higher rank, while Tisinger Elementary spends slightly less and has a similar rank. The 2023-2024 peak appears to have been a temporary success rather than a sustainable improvement, as the school has not been able to maintain that momentum.

587

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,163

Per pupil spending ?

87.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

328 E Newsom St
Mesquite, TX 75149-5022

(972) 882-7240

District: Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Black Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Agnew Middle
High:	Mesquite High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

71.6%

African American:

15.5%

White:

10.6%

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Compare Black Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 27th percentile in 2016 → 12th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (35% vs 50% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg40%

Texas avg50%

4,062^nd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

32^nd of 34Elementary Schools in the Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

694^th of 951Mesquite Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	19.6	4062 of 4627	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.8	3071 of 4651	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.0	1930 of 4710	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.2	3144 of 4647	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.3	2725 of 4581	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.1	2492 of 4578	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.7	3040 of 4479	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.5	3415 of 4359	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.4	3811 of 4329	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.2	3148 of 4286	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	50.1	2316 of 4320	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	46.8	2543 of 4260	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.6	2488 of 4221	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.5	2686 of 4206	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	52.5	2259 of 4095	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	46.3	2519 of 3937	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	30.9	3154 of 3884	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	30.9	3080 of 3768	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	58.2	1784 of 3724	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	57.2	1672 of 3476	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	63.5	1347 of 3475	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	62.9	1343 of 3465	61.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	13.9	2319 of 2406	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	32.5	1402 of 1905	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.8	1194 of 2443	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.0	1734 of 2443	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.4	2059 of 2421	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.6	1277 of 2444	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.4	1545 of 2515	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.8	1718 of 2483	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	52.4	1932 of 4461	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.6	1725 of 4331	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.1	2583 of 4295	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.8	3906 of 4240	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.3	1071 of 1643	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.5	1349 of 2918	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.6	928 of 3668	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	53.7	1472 of 3556	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.4	1080 of 3487	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.0	1691 of 3446	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.8	1140 of 3333	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	22.3	2898 of 3226	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	21.5	3962 of 4575	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.8	2398 of 3744	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.4	1964 of 4658	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.6	3074 of 4588	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.9	2474 of 4561	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.6	2167 of 4499	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.3	2786 of 4348	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.6	3441 of 4306	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.5	2618 of 3075	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.1	1754 of 2619	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.3	1508 of 2980	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.1	2456 of 3184	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.6	2398 of 3106	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.7	2651 of 4413	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.0	1859 of 3644	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.4	1439 of 4465	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.1	2628 of 4401	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.2	2205 of 4376	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.4	2290 of 4329	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.6	2225 of 4188	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.3	3112 of 4168	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	23.7	3953 of 4520	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	50.9	1714 of 3705	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.5	1281 of 4594	72.1%	★★★★☆
2023	43.7	2625 of 4521	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.9	2147 of 4477	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.1	1746 of 4451	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.9	2437 of 4309	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.0	3249 of 4264	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	20.6	4020 of 4582	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	41.5	2190 of 3739	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	2140 of 4647	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.2	3071 of 4585	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.5	3165 of 4563	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.4	2885 of 4498	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.4	3181 of 4357	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.2	3362 of 4319	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2021	44.1	555 of 961	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.5	804 of 1046	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	19.6	4045 of 4301	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	26.0	2919 of 3549	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.4	2882 of 4292	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.4	3243 of 4086	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.7	3649 of 3952	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	23.2	3303 of 3799	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.8	2990 of 3684	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.7	3009 of 3558	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	9.9	2909 of 3006	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	31.3	1990 of 2612	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.1	1696 of 3108	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.1	2628 of 3106	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.7	2208 of 3082	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.5	2337 of 3082	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.6	2841 of 3142	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.0	2646 of 3127	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

At Risk (2022)57th percentile+16 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)42nd percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)40th percentile+28 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)35th percentile+23 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)15th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)13th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)13th percentile~ school

Male (2026)12th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)6th percentile-6 vs school

African American (2026)4th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)3rd percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading39%-15 vs state

Mathematics29%-19 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, April 24, 2012

My son is in the third grade and has been here since kindergarten. I absolutely love this school and every teacher my son has ever had. Close Quote

Schools Near Black Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)			STAAR Spanish Mathematics (2026)			STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Black Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	328 E Newsom St	Mesquite	75149	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-7240	587	39	15.0	87.2%	62 (10.6%)	91 (15.5%)	420 (71.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	19.6	4062^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	12.2%		35.8	3071^st of 4651 public elementary schools	34.0%	991	44.4	75.0		77.8	25.0		37.3	37.2	42.1	28.4	31.9	25.0	$9,163
Pioneer Technology (Ptaa) Mesquite Elementary	Public, Charter	K-4	1412 S Belt Line Rd	Mesquite	75149	Dallas County	Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 375-9672	212	14	15.1	46.7%	43 (20.3%)	85 (40.1%)	69 (32.5%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.1%)	30.4	3403^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	26.5%		29.9	3439^th of 4651 public elementary schools	26.1%	36							60.0	25.6		36.7	28.2		$7,981
Rutherford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 Rutherford Dr	Mesquite	75149	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 290-4060	803	51	15.6	78.2%	79 (9.8%)	129 (16.1%)	548 (68.2%)	8 (1.0%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	32 (4.0%)	39.6	2787^th of 4627 public elementary schools	39.8%		49.5	2169^th of 4651 public elementary schools	53.4%	618	35.3	37.5	57.1	28.6	31.3		45.0	44.1	50.0	47.6	44.7	32.4	$9,264
Moss Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1208 New Market Rd	Mesquite	75149	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-7130	337	28	12.2	85.8%	55 (16.3%)	110 (32.6%)	144 (42.7%)	14 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.2%)	40	2747^th of 4627 public elementary schools	40.6%		30.6	3388^th of 4651 public elementary schools	27.2%	641							45.0	43.4	56.5	27.5	41.5	50.0	$10,047
Shaw Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	707 Purple Sage Trl	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-7060	483	35	13.8	80.3%	40 (8.3%)	132 (27.3%)	286 (59.2%)	10 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.9%)	39.1	2819^th of 4627 public elementary schools	39.1%		48	2262^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	51.4%	557	20.0	50.0	30.0	10.0	50.0	14.3	35.1	51.5	52.8	30.1	57.6	37.3	$8,944
Hanby Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	480 Gross Rd	Mesquite	75149	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-5040	768	48	15.9	90.6%	36 (4.7%)	134 (17.4%)	575 (74.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.6%)	41.3	2638^th of 4627 public elementary schools	43.0%		42.6	2599^th of 4651 public elementary schools	44.1%	39	16.7	55.6	52.9	18.5	62.5	12.5	32.5	43.4	50.5	47.1	58.5	36.5	$9,019
Smith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 Mesquite Valley Rd	Mesquite	75149	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-7080	533	38	14.0	72.0%	33 (6.2%)	193 (36.2%)	285 (53.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.2%)	21.5	3967^th of 4627 public elementary schools	14.3%		31.9	3317^th of 4651 public elementary schools	28.7%	650	18.2	0.0		0.0	16.7		35.4	45.7	37.7	15.2	30.9	37.7	$9,752
McWhorter Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 Hickory Tree Rd	Mesquite	75149	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-7020	501	39	12.7	92.4%	24 (4.8%)	48 (9.6%)	409 (81.6%)	13 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	31	3369^th of 4627 public elementary schools	27.2%		39.2	2824^th of 4651 public elementary schools	39.3%	545	41.7	26.3	42.9	0.0	50.0		31.2	34.9	49.3	33.8	47.4	39.0	$10,758
Gentry Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1901 Twin Oaks Dr	Mesquite	75181	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 290-4140	607	42	14.3	79.4%	30 (4.9%)	288 (47.4%)	263 (43.3%)	9 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.6%)	33.3	3201^st of 4627 public elementary schools	30.8%		36	3048^th of 4651 public elementary schools	34.5%	153							35.6	42.1	48.5	35.6	43.5	41.0	$10,525
Tisinger Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1701 Hillcrest St	Mesquite	75149	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-5120	739	45	16.2	90.8%	41 (5.5%)	217 (29.4%)	453 (61.3%)	8 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.4%)	21.4	3973^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	14.1%		27.9	3558^th of 4651 public elementary schools	23.5%	415	11.5	42.9	16.7	7.7	10.7	22.2	33.8	42.9	40.2	33.8	32.5	23.5	$9,415

Frequently Asked Questions about Black Elementary

Is Black Elementary a good school?

Black Elementary ranks in the bottom 12.2% of Texas elementary schools.

What district is Black Elementary in?

Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Black Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 587 students attended Black Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Black Elementary?

Students at Black Elementary are 72% Hispanic, 16% African American, 11% White, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Black Elementary attend?

Students who attend Black Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Agnew Middle
High : Mesquite High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.