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Larry G Smith Elementary

Q: Is Larry G Smith Elementary a good school?

Larry G Smith Elementary ranks 1693 rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1693^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Larry G Smith Elementary in Mesquite, TX, is a PK-5 campus serving 681 students as part of the Dallas Independent School District (Isd), and it has shown remarkable improvement over the past decade, rising from a 1-star rating to a consistent 3-star rating while serving a high-poverty population where over 95% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school truly stands out for its exceptional work with students facing economic challenges. In the most recent rankings, Larry G Smith ranked in the 85th percentile statewide for its effectiveness with low socioeconomic status students—a feat that surpasses nearby schools like Motley Elementary (73rd percentile) in the Mesquite Independent School District (Isd). The school also excels in supporting special education students, ranking in the 83rd percentile, and has a strong bilingual program where Spanish-language reading scores on the STAAR test consistently beat both district and state averages. Upper elementary math is another strength: 5th-grade math proficiency hit 60.98%, well above the district (47.72%) and state (47.38%) averages, and this trend has held for four consecutive years.

However, there are important nuances for parents to consider. While male students rank in the 77th percentile statewide, female students rank in only the 40th percentile—a persistent gap that warrants attention. Additionally, despite the school's overall success, its Gifted and Talented program ranks in the bottom 14th percentile, suggesting that high-achieving students may not be as challenged. Compared to nearby Motley Elementary, which has a higher overall ranking (73rd percentile) and stronger 5th-grade math scores (81.48%), Larry G Smith serves a larger and more disadvantaged student body, achieving impressive results at scale. This school is a testament to consistent growth in a challenging environment, but families should explore how it meets the needs of all learners, especially girls and advanced students.

681

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,840

Per pupil spending ?

95.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5299 Gus Thomasson Rd
Mesquite, TX 75150-1064

(972) 502-4800

District: Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Larry G Smith Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	W H Gaston Middle
High:	Bryan Adams H S Leadership Academy

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

79.3%

African American:

14.2%

White:

4.4%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Larry G Smith Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 27th percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 36 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Texas median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg47%

Texas avg49%

1,693^rd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▲ up 37 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

43^rd of 149Elementary Schools in the Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

441^st of 951Dallas 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	58.2	1693 of 4627	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.3	1891 of 4651	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.1	2575 of 4710	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.3	1807 of 4647	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.5	2173 of 4581	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.6	2318 of 4578	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.6	2587 of 4479	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.5	2339 of 4359	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.4	2495 of 4329	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	33.5	3135 of 4286	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	33.1	3199 of 4320	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	36.7	3068 of 4260	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	32.4	3294 of 4221	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	21.4	3802 of 4206	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	23.8	3630 of 4095	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.8	3277 of 3937	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	12.5	3722 of 3884	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	21.4	3391 of 3768	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	60.9	726 of 2406	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.0	314 of 1905	83.5%	★★★★☆
2024	68.7	512 of 2443	79.0%	★★★★☆
2023	72.0	443 of 2443	81.9%	★★★★☆
2022	34.4	1708 of 2421	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.4	1968 of 2444	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.6	2360 of 2515	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	1767 of 2483	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	69.6	862 of 4461	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	69.5	763 of 4331	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	66.4	972 of 4295	77.4%	★★★★☆
2018	67.1	925 of 4240	78.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	53.0	1211 of 2918	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.0	1521 of 3668	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.4	950 of 3556	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	68.5	747 of 3487	78.6%	★★★★☆
2021	70.9	581 of 3446	83.1%	★★★★☆
2019	80.1	318 of 3333	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	77.5	393 of 3226	87.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	40.6	2732 of 4575	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.2	1949 of 3744	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.6	2788 of 4658	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.6	1715 of 4588	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.3	2195 of 4561	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.6	1937 of 4499	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.0	2124 of 4348	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.3	2415 of 4306	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	30.9	2659 of 3075	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.4	2253 of 2619	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.5	2026 of 2980	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.9	2607 of 2958	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.9	2163 of 3006	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.5	2350 of 3184	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.3	2502 of 3106	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	66.3	1128 of 4413	74.4%	★★★★☆
2025	57.0	1371 of 3644	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.5	1812 of 4465	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.2	1354 of 4401	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.2	1156 of 4376	73.6%	★★★★☆
2021	60.5	1340 of 4329	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.5	1232 of 4188	70.6%	★★★★☆
2018	58.5	1448 of 4168	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	74.6	689 of 4520	84.8%	★★★★☆
2025	67.5	846 of 3705	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	63.4	1288 of 4594	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	73.3	735 of 4521	83.7%	★★★★☆
2022	61.6	1391 of 4477	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	1402 of 4451	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.7	1785 of 4309	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.4	1405 of 4264	67.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	70.9	1062 of 4582	76.8%	★★★★☆
2025	57.6	1391 of 3739	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.0	1878 of 4647	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.8	1921 of 4585	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.4	2150 of 4563	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.8	2619 of 4498	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.0	2995 of 4357	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.6	2276 of 4319	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	70.9	715 of 4301	83.4%	★★★★☆
2025	58.8	1116 of 3549	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	75.5	595 of 4292	86.1%	★★★★☆
2023	46.6	1855 of 4086	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.8	2217 of 3952	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.7	2001 of 3799	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.4	2178 of 3684	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.7	2740 of 3558	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2021	19.8	2726 of 3082	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.6	2748 of 3142	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.7	2278 of 3127	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)85th percentile+21 vs school

Special Education (2026)83rd percentile+20 vs school

At Risk (2022)81st percentile+28 vs school

Male (2026)77th percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)74th percentile+11 vs school

African American (2026)70th percentile+6 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)58th percentile~ school

Female (2026)40th percentile-23 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)14th percentile-50 vs school

White (2021)12th percentile-38 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading55%~ state avg

Mathematics49%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Larry G Smith Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
Larry G Smith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5299 Gus Thomasson Rd	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 502-4800	681	45	15.1	95.4%	30 (4.4%)	97 (14.2%)	540 (79.3%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.3%)	58.2	1693^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	63.4%		54.3	1891^st of 4651 public elementary schools	59.3%	198	56.4	51.3	57.7	14.3	16.7	55.6	41.9	40.0	66.2	62.2	39.1	46.8	61.0	48.8	$9,840
Charles A Gill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10910 Ferguson Rd	Dallas	75228	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-8400	630	42	15.0	95.7%	22 (3.5%)	96 (15.2%)	460 (73.0%)	32 (5.1%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.4%)	41	2661^st of 4627 public elementary schools	42.5%		42.2	2623^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	43.6%	38	46.0	43.3	34.2				40.9	34.0	54.2	36.6	44.4	49.4	45.9	35.7	$9,843
Edwin J Kiest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2611 Healey Dr	Dallas	75228	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 502-5600	535	37	14.3	96.3%	13 (2.4%)	35 (6.5%)	482 (90.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	42.6	2541^st of 4627 public elementary schools	45.1%		35.1	3113^th of 4651 public elementary schools	33.1%	572	31.6	34.6	35.7		14.3		19.5	48.1	46.9	63.3	25.0	66.2	36.5	35.0	$11,131
Motley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3719 Moon Dr	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-5080	244	22	11.1	90.6%	16 (6.6%)	14 (5.7%)	206 (84.4%)	5 (2.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	67.6	1239^th of 4627 public elementary schools	73.2%		74.9	932^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	80.0%	307	0.0	11.1					63.3	54.2	70.4		51.6	35.5	81.5		$14,253
Shands Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4836 Shands Dr	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 290-4020	567	43	13.1	86.1%	29 (5.1%)	88 (15.5%)	433 (76.4%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.9%)	42.9	2523^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	45.5%		33	3255^th of 4651 public elementary schools	30.0%	732	11.1	6.7	50.0	5.6	7.7	22.2	44.8	51.9	40.7		40.3	53.0	35.6		$11,069
Florence Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4621 Gleneagle St	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 290-4080	509	47	10.9	83.5%	37 (7.3%)	78 (15.3%)	374 (73.5%)	8 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.2%)	29.2	3486^th of 4627 public elementary schools	24.7%		37.7	2946^th of 4651 public elementary schools	36.7%	540	42.9			25.0			45.2	38.6	40.9		45.5	36.9	32.8		$10,006
Casa View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 N Farola Dr	Dallas	75228	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-7700	530	35	15.0	95.7%	14 (2.6%)	21 (4.0%)	480 (90.6%)	3 (0.6%)	6 (1.1%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	53.1	1958^th of 4627 public elementary schools	57.7%		41.7	2663^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	42.7%	705	20.7	48.7	75.0	0.0			67.9	74.3	48.8	49.3	40.8	56.2	38.6	39.1	$11,369
Lawrence Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3811 Richman Dr	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-7000	284	23	12.6	89.4%	18 (6.3%)	28 (9.9%)	229 (80.6%)	5 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	34.5	3118^th of 4627 public elementary schools	32.6%		54.9	1849^th of 4651 public elementary schools	60.2%	1269	18.2			9.1			28.6	48.8	51.2		17.9	56.1	31.7		$13,144
George W Truett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1811 Gross Rd	Dallas	75228	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-8000	987	60	16.4	98.9%	22 (2.2%)	296 (30.0%)	632 (64.0%)	16 (1.6%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	14 (1.4%)	37.3	2930^th of 4627 public elementary schools	36.7%		55.1	1837^th of 4651 public elementary schools	60.5%	1093	46.7	60.3	55.6		13.3	46.2	30.2	32.5	42.6		36.8	47.4	52.9		$11,181
Montclair Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5200 Broadmoor Dr	Garland	75043	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 279-4041	557	32	17.3	85.6%	33 (5.9%)	82 (14.7%)	411 (73.8%)	12 (2.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.9%)	45	2390^th of 4627 public elementary schools	48.3%		40.6	2734^th of 4651 public elementary schools	41.2%	344	18.8	38.5	40.0	25.0	20.0	0.0	44.7	40.2	58.7		47.3	41.7	46.8		$9,343

Frequently Asked Questions about Larry G Smith Elementary

Is Larry G Smith Elementary a good school?

Larry G Smith Elementary ranks 1693^rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Larry G Smith Elementary in?

Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Larry G Smith Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 681 students attended Larry G Smith Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Larry G Smith Elementary attend?

Students who attend Larry G Smith Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : W H Gaston Middle
High : Bryan Adams H S Leadership Academy

What is the racial makeup of Larry G Smith Elementary?

Students at Larry G Smith Elementary are 79% Hispanic, 14% African American, 4% White, 1% Two or more races.

Rate Larry G Smith Elementary!

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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.