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Vanston Middle

Public Grades 6-8

1824^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,335 Texas Middle Schools

Better than 22% of Texas middle schools

Summary

Vanston Middle in Mesquite, TX, serves 728 students in grades 6-8 within the Mesquite Independent School District (Isd), a district ranked in the bottom third of Texas, and the school itself has recently earned a 1-star rating, placing it in the 22nd percentile statewide.

The most striking feature of Vanston is its "two-tiered" math program. On one hand, 7th-grade math is a persistent crisis: only about 7-8% of students have been proficient in recent years, far below the state average of around 30%. This is a severe weakness shared by nearby schools like McDonald Middle and Kimbrough Middle, but Vanston's performance is consistently among the worst in the region. On the other hand, Vanston is a powerhouse in Algebra I, with 8th graders scoring 65-81% proficient—far exceeding the district and state averages. This suggests the school excels at accelerating its top math students, even as the general 7th-grade population struggles. Overall, Vanston has seen a sharp decline in recent years, dropping from the 38th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 22nd percentile in 2025-2026, a steeper fall than its Mesquite ISD peer Wilkinson Middle.

Despite academic challenges, Vanston has notable strengths. Its English Language Learner (ELL) program is a bright spot, consistently ranking in the top half of the state (63rd percentile in 2025-2026). The school also maintains a very low dropout rate of 0.5%, well below the district average, indicating strong student engagement. However, recent data reveals a troubling drop in performance for White and African American students, both now ranking in the 5th percentile statewide. For context, just 3.3 miles away, the Classical Center At Brandenburg Middle in the Garland Independent School District (Isd) ranks in the 77th percentile (4 stars), with proficiency rates often double or triple Vanston's—a stark reminder of the disparities that can exist between neighboring districts.

728

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,112

Per pupil spending ?

84.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3230 Karla Dr
Mesquite, TX 75150-1721

(972) 882-5801

District: Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Vanston Middle usually attend:

High:

North Mesquite High School

Feeder schools for Vanston Middle:

Elementary:	Florence Elementary
	Lawrence Elementary
	Motley Elementary
	Price Elementary
	More...
	Shands Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.3%

African American:

12.9%

White:

8.8%

See top rated Texas middle schools

Compare Vanston Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 45th percentile in 2016 → 22nd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (33% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg36%

Texas avg47%

1,824^th of 2,335

Texas public middle schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 45% (2016) to bottom 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 10Middle 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	26.8	1824 of 2335	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.4	1684 of 2344	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.9	1477 of 2372	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.2	1655 of 2330	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.3	1390 of 2254	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.3	1495 of 2252	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.3	1571 of 2193	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.9	1325 of 2080	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.1	1183 of 2027	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	49.1	1092 of 1987	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	50.2	1086 of 2043	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.2	1198 of 1987	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	45.2	1184 of 1973	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	49.0	1064 of 1951	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	58.2	848 of 1895	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	54.9	915 of 1803	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	45.4	1149 of 1763	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	53.7	882 of 1718	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	36.4	1245 of 1684	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.5	1148 of 1585	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	29.9	1244 of 1582	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	36.1	1178 of 1573	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	14.7	1235 of 1295	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	29.8	752 of 997	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.0	968 of 1280	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.5	860 of 1273	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.2	795 of 1251	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.1	793 of 1213	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.0	772 of 1193	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.1	687 of 1167	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	78.5	86 of 606	85.8%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	49.0	913 of 2182	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.9	933 of 2118	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.9	1325 of 2058	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.3	1355 of 2008	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	52.4	514 of 1390	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.3	723 of 1428	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.0	699 of 1770	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.4	904 of 1720	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	861 of 1643	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.1	1101 of 1592	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.7	857 of 1445	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.6	857 of 1376	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	28.8	1728 of 2240	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.6	1419 of 1825	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.1	1505 of 2242	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.0	1558 of 2241	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.1	1214 of 2221	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.7	1423 of 2151	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.7	1476 of 2047	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.4	1327 of 2008	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.7	1060 of 1497	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.4	872 of 1230	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.3	1138 of 1481	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.9	960 of 1488	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.6	798 of 1501	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.5	985 of 1446	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.7	630 of 1430	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	1390 of 2141	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.2	1087 of 1731	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.8	1055 of 2119	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.6	1304 of 2116	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.9	1023 of 2077	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.0	1144 of 2043	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.8	1233 of 1935	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.8	977 of 1895	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.6	1579 of 2253	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.9	1183 of 1820	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.8	1046 of 2235	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.0	1304 of 2251	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.4	1037 of 2220	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.1	1171 of 2172	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.6	1274 of 2073	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.2	955 of 2039	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	25.1	1839 of 2253	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.5	1303 of 1818	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.1	1383 of 2246	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.7	1630 of 2245	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.8	1509 of 2228	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.1	1447 of 2168	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.4	1550 of 2069	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.5	1301 of 2030	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	32.5	589 of 817	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.6	372 of 743	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	22.3	649 of 753	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.3	1289 of 1956	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.5	947 of 1568	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.4	1101 of 1891	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.0	1126 of 1815	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.4	1426 of 1757	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.0	1204 of 1712	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.2	1210 of 1626	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.2	1074 of 1597	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	12.3	1647 of 1731	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	21.9	1259 of 1439	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.0	1276 of 1733	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.7	1188 of 1749	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.3	1346 of 1723	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.4	1341 of 1700	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	1388 of 1684	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.7	1343 of 1673	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Asian (2022)86th percentile+47 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)63rd percentile+41 vs school

At Risk (2022)58th percentile+20 vs school

Hispanic (2026)35th percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2026)34th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)30th percentile+8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)29th percentile+7 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)28th percentile~ school

Female (2026)23rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)18th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)5th percentile-17 vs school

African American (2026)5th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I66%+11 vs state

Reading44%-12 vs state

Mathematics25%-14 vs state

Social Studies11%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Vanston Middle

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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 EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (2026)			STAAR Social Studies (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 EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Vanston Middle	Public	6-8	3230 Karla Dr	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-5801	728	60	12.1	84.5%	64 (8.8%)	94 (12.9%)	548 (75.3%)	10 (1.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.1%)	26.8	1824^th of 2335 public middle schools	21.9%		31.4	1684^th of 2344 public middle schools	28.2%	140	65.5	43.9	37.6	50.0	27.2	7.8	34.1	11.3	$10,112
McDonald Middle	Public	6-8	2930 Town E Blvd	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-5700	787	55	14.3	82.2%	71 (9.0%)	152 (19.3%)	530 (67.3%)	5 (0.6%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (2.7%)	31.9	1666^th of 2335 public middle schools	28.7%		28.6	1780^th of 2344 public middle schools	24.1%	114	77.9	42.0	38.5	41.9	35.2	3.8	44.6	21.4	$10,085
Kimbrough Middle	Public	6-8	3900 N Galloway Ave	Mesquite	75150	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-5900	1,115	74	15.0	69.3%	166 (14.9%)	289 (25.9%)	595 (53.4%)	27 (2.4%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.0%)	42.5	1305^th of 2335 public middle schools	44.1%		49.6	1086^th of 2344 public middle schools	53.7%	219	62.7	48.4	47.7	48.6	46.7	7.3	41.9	26.4	$8,438
O'Banion Middle	Public	6-8	700 Birchwood Dr	Garland	75043	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 279-6103	784	56	14.0	92.7%	28 (3.6%)	95 (12.1%)	606 (77.3%)	34 (4.3%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.8%)	17.3	2107^th of 2335 public middle schools	9.8%		27.7	1810^th of 2344 public middle schools	22.8%	297	82.7	31.0	32.8	36.8	27.4		25.8	9.3	$10,527
Uplift Luna Prep Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	9743 E Rl Thornton Fwy	Dallas	75228	Dallas County	Uplift Education	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(214) 445-3300	591	31	19.1	84.3%	12 (2.0%)	76 (12.9%)	484 (81.9%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.5%)	44.9	1213^th of 2335 public middle schools	48.1%		48.5	1126^th of 2344 public middle schools	52.0%	87	70.3	50.5	49.5	54.3	29.8	0.0	59.4	17.4	$10,040
W H Gaston Middle	Public	6-8	9565 Mercer Dr	Dallas	75228	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 502-5400	757	49	15.4	94.7%	22 (2.9%)	94 (12.4%)	626 (82.7%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.1%)	39.2	1420^th of 2335 public middle schools	39.2%		27.1	1835^th of 2344 public middle schools	21.7%	415	77.7		48.3	52.7			33.0	28.3	$10,772
Harold Wendell Lang Senior Middle	Public	6-8	1678 Chenault	Dallas	75228	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 925-2400	740	49	15.1	96.1%	24 (3.2%)	237 (32.0%)	457 (61.8%)	9 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	8 (1.1%)	18.1	2087^th of 2335 public middle schools	10.6%		15.5	2143^rd of 2344 public middle schools	8.6%	56	59.0	33.7	27.8	36.6	22.7		30.1	12.6	$12,534
Wilkinson Middle	Public	6-8	2100 Crest Park Dr	Mesquite	75149	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-5950	655	53	12.4	91.5%	52 (7.9%)	157 (24.0%)	415 (63.4%)	5 (0.8%)	16 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	8 (1.2%)	23.7	1953^rd of 2335 public middle schools	16.4%		35.1	1556^th of 2344 public middle schools	33.6%	397	51.2	39.6	41.9	46.2	23.1	7.6	27.1	14.3	$11,341
Classical Center At Brandenburg Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	626 Nickens Rd	Garland	75043	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 926-2630	1,056	66	16.1	63.1%	180 (17.0%)	222 (21.0%)	556 (52.7%)	57 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (3.9%)	68.3	546^th of 2335 public middle schools	76.6%		62.8	726^th of 2344 public middle schools	69.0%	180	93.9	67.0	60.7	65.2	47.1		62.2	26.9	$8,889
Lyles Collegiate Middle	Public	6-8	4655 S Country Club Rd	Garland	75043	Dallas County	Garland Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(972) 240-3720	869	57	15.3	88.5%	55 (6.3%)	318 (36.6%)	415 (47.8%)	47 (5.4%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (3.7%)	30.2	1709^th of 2335 public middle schools	26.8%		19.4	2035^th of 2344 public middle schools	13.2%	326	90.7	36.2	42.7	44.8	21.3		42.3	18.5	$9,880

Frequently Asked Questions about Vanston Middle

How many students attend Vanston Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 728 students attended Vanston Middle.

Is Vanston Middle a good school?

Vanston Middle ranks in the bottom 21.9% of Texas middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Vanston Middle attend?

Students who attend Vanston Middle usually go on to attend North Mesquite High School

What district is Vanston Middle in?

Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Vanston Middle?

Students at Vanston Middle are 75% Hispanic, 13% African American, 9% White, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

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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.