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Shands Elementary

Q: Is Shands Elementary a good school?

Shands Elementary ranks 2523 rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2523^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 45% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Shands Elementary in Mesquite, TX, is a PK-5 school serving 567 students within the Mesquite Independent School District (Isd), where 86% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a high-poverty community. The school has shown a promising upward trend, jumping from the 30th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 to the 45th percentile in 2025-2026, setting it apart from nearby schools like Florence Elementary (25th percentile) and Price Elementary (19th percentile), which are trending downward.

Shands' most compelling strength is its exceptional performance with low-socioeconomic status (SES) students, ranking in the 68th percentile for this group in 2025-2026—a dramatic improvement from the 33rd percentile two years prior. The school also excels in supporting special education students, ranking in the 67th percentile, up from 45th the year before. However, a notable "two-speed" pattern emerges in STAAR exams: 4th-grade English Reading and Math scores (51.85% and 53.01%) are well above the district average, while 4th-grade Spanish Reading and Math scores (6.67% and 7.69%) are dramatically lower, indicating a critical area for targeted support. Nearby Larry G Smith Elementary from the Dallas Independent School District (Isd) outperforms Shands in Spanish-language testing, suggesting potential models for improvement.

Science remains a systemic challenge, with Shands' 5th-grade scores consistently below state averages (e.g., 12.5% in 2024-2025 vs. 29.57% statewide), a struggle shared by all nearby schools, including high-performing Motley Elementary (36.36%). The "Motley Effect" offers a stark contrast: just 1.41 miles away, Motley ranks in the 73rd percentile with similar poverty rates (91%) but dramatically higher test scores, like 81.48% in 5th-grade Math versus Shands' 35.59%. This shows that high poverty does not dictate low performance and provides a local benchmark for what's possible. Shands' recent improvement in serving Hispanic students (jumping to the 62nd percentile) is promising but volatile, and sustaining this momentum will be key for continued growth.

567

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,069

Per pupil spending ?

86.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4836 Shands Dr
Mesquite, TX 75150-1152

(972) 290-4020

District: Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Shands Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Vanston Middle
High:	North Mesquite High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.4%

African American:

15.5%

White:

5.1%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Shands Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 33rd percentile in 2016 → 45th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2016

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (40% vs 50% meeting standards)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg39%

Texas avg50%

2,523^rd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 45%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 33% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th 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	42.9	2523 of 4627	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.0	3255 of 4651	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.0	3275 of 4710	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.6	2948 of 4647	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.9	2681 of 4581	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.8	2739 of 4578	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.9	2503 of 4479	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.5	2445 of 4359	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	33.8	2918 of 4329	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.6	2852 of 4286	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.8	2338 of 4320	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	60.7	1718 of 4260	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.8	1800 of 4221	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	47.1	2451 of 4206	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	55.5	2106 of 4095	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.5	2202 of 3937	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	58.0	1831 of 3884	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.9	1724 of 3768	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	48.0	2302 of 3724	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.6	2481 of 3476	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	41.7	2403 of 3475	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2004	30.2	2862 of 3465	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	2010 of 2406	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.8	1218 of 1905	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.2	2087 of 2443	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.0	2148 of 2443	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.5	1783 of 2421	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.9	1237 of 2444	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.7	1231 of 2515	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.9	1335 of 2483	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	54.1	1819 of 4461	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.6	931 of 4331	78.5%	★★★★☆
2019	70.9	747 of 4295	82.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.3	775 of 4240	81.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	31.4	2151 of 2918	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.6	1997 of 3668	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	65.1	917 of 3556	74.2%	★★★★☆
2022	59.3	1122 of 3487	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.7	843 of 3446	75.5%	★★★★☆
2019	71.3	594 of 3333	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	69.0	692 of 3226	78.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	50.8	2040 of 4575	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	31.4	2721 of 3744	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.7	3572 of 4658	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.5	3239 of 4588	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.7	2731 of 4561	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.9	2696 of 4499	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.6	2375 of 4348	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.1	2614 of 4306	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	53.3	1854 of 3075	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	65.8	964 of 2619	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.2	1691 of 2980	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.9	1573 of 3184	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.2	385 of 3106	87.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	56.1	1698 of 4413	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	36.6	2478 of 3644	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.4	2754 of 4465	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.4	1909 of 4401	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.2	2436 of 4376	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.6	2268 of 4329	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.8	1622 of 4188	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.3	1862 of 4168	55.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	59.5	1469 of 4520	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.2	2468 of 3705	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.7	2722 of 4594	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.1	2375 of 4521	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.6	1779 of 4477	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.4	2075 of 4451	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.5	1604 of 4309	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.1	1750 of 4264	59.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.8	3033 of 4582	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.5	2927 of 3739	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.7	3343 of 4647	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.0	2516 of 4585	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.2	2674 of 4563	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.4	2714 of 4498	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.4	2503 of 4357	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.2	2369 of 4319	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2019	17.6	986 of 1112	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	55.3	1433 of 4301	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.6	1939 of 3549	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.6	2329 of 4292	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.1	2797 of 4086	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.0	2575 of 3952	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.0	2560 of 3799	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.9	2499 of 3684	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.4	1740 of 3558	51.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	18.6	2794 of 3108	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.3	2263 of 3106	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	53.9	1419 of 3082	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.5	1878 of 3082	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.2	2856 of 3142	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	2254 of 3127	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)68th percentile+22 vs school

Special Education (2026)67th percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2026)62nd percentile+16 vs school

At Risk (2022)59th percentile+18 vs school

Female (2026)55th percentile+10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)40th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)34th percentile-12 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)26th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)16th percentile-29 vs school

Multi-racial (2019)11th percentile-33 vs school

White (2024)10th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading47%-8 vs state

Mathematics44%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Shands 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
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
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
Price Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	630 Stroud Ln	Garland	75043	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 290-4100	299	26	11.5	70.9%	16 (5.4%)	112 (37.5%)	125 (41.8%)	21 (7.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.0%)	24.8	3765^th of 4627 public elementary schools	18.6%		36.5	3022^nd of 4651 public elementary schools	35.0%	743							38.5	37.8	52.8		28.9	28.9	33.3		$12,391
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
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
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
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
Heather Glen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5119 Heather Glen Dr	Garland	75043	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 270-2881	283	19	14.8	91.5%	7 (2.5%)	35 (12.4%)	219 (77.4%)	14 (4.9%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)								(n/a)															$11,159
Kimball Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4010 Coryell Way	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 290-4120	208	21	10.1	76.0%	52 (25.0%)	60 (28.8%)	79 (38.0%)	7 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.8%)	42.6	2544^th of 4627 public elementary schools	45.0%		55.4	1816^th of 4651 public elementary schools	61.0%	728							60.7	50.0	45.0		46.4	36.1	40.0		$14,919

Frequently Asked Questions about Shands Elementary

What schools do graduates of Shands Elementary attend?

Students who attend Shands Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Vanston Middle
High : North Mesquite High School

Is Shands Elementary a good school?

Shands Elementary ranks 2523^rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Shands Elementary in?

Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Shands Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 567 students attended Shands Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Shands Elementary?

Students at Shands Elementary are 76% Hispanic, 16% African American, 5% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.