Best Public Schools in Mesquite, TX

The city of Mesquite, Texas is home to 49 schools, including 30 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, 6 high schools, and 3 alternative schools, all part of the Mesquite Independent School District (ISD) except for a few charter schools. The schools serve a diverse student population, with Hispanic students making up the largest group, followed by African American and White students.

A few standout schools in the district include Motley Elementary, which ranks among the top 1,000 elementary schools in Texas and has very high proficiency rates in reading and math, and Lawrence Elementary, another high-performing school with strong math and science scores. At the middle school level, Kimbrough Middle is one of the higher-performing schools in the district, ranking in the top 1,000 in Texas. The charter school Pioneer Technology (PTAA) Mesquite stands out with a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 96.6% and low dropout rate of 0%.

However, the data also reveals significant performance gaps between the highest and lowest-performing schools, both within the district and compared to state averages. Schools with higher percentages of minority and economically disadvantaged students tend to have lower test scores and rankings, highlighting the need to address equity and opportunity gaps. Additionally, schools with lower student-teacher ratios, like New Middle and Kimball Elementary, appear to have better academic outcomes, suggesting that smaller class sizes could be a contributing factor to student success.