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Gray Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

3506^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 24% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Gray Elementary in Balch Springs, TX, is a PK-5 school serving 409 students within the Mesquite Independent School District (Isd), where over 86% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a high-poverty community.

Gray Elementary has experienced a sharp and sustained decline in its state ranking over the past five years, dropping from a 3-star rating (62nd percentile) in 2021-2022 to a 1-star rating (24th percentile) for 2025-2026. This downward trend is the most pronounced among its Mesquite ISD peers, with nearby schools like Dr Linda Henrie Elementary maintaining a 2-star rating. A key weakness is in Mathematics, where proficiency rates (e.g., 29.09% in 4th grade) lag behind district and state averages. However, the school shows notable strength with its African American students, who have consistently earned 3-star ratings in recent years, and has a history of strong performance with "At Risk" students, who ranked in the 83rd percentile just a few years ago. This suggests the school has the capacity for success, but something has changed in recent years to cause the overall decline.

An interesting comparison is with Gilbert Cuellar Senior Elementary, a Dallas ISD school just 2.29 miles away, which made a dramatic turnaround from 1 star to 4 stars in the same period, outperforming Gray in every grade and subject. This shows that high performance is achievable in a similar demographic context. Per-student spending at Gray ($9,323) is in line with its peers, indicating the challenge is not funding but likely related to instructional effectiveness or resource allocation. The school's past success with vulnerable students and its current strength with African American students provide a foundation for a targeted intervention strategy to reverse the decline.

409

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,753

Per pupil spending ?

86.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3500 Pioneer Rd
Balch Springs, TX 75180

(972) 882-7280

District: Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Gray Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	New Middle
High:	Mesquite High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.1%

African American:

14.7%

White:

9.0%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 47th percentile in 2016 → 24th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (38% vs 50% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg40%

Texas avg50%

3,506^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 47% (2016) to bottom 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^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	28.8	3506 of 4627	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.0	3367 of 4651	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.3	3196 of 4710	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.7	2139 of 4647	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.2	1739 of 4581	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.1	2026 of 4578	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.1	2151 of 4479	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.6	2387 of 4359	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.4	2818 of 4329	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.3	2292 of 4286	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	47.2	2478 of 4320	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.3	2192 of 4260	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	60.2	1711 of 4221	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.3	1682 of 4206	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.1	2343 of 4095	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	60.4	1728 of 3937	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	38.9	2795 of 3884	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	42.8	2532 of 3768	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	38.1	2768 of 3724	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	26.3	2973 of 3476	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	20.0	3168 of 3475	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	22.5	3106 of 3465	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	46.0	1238 of 2406	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.5	837 of 1905	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.6	942 of 2443	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.8	884 of 2443	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.6	1102 of 2421	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.2	1375 of 2444	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.0	1132 of 2515	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.0	1264 of 2483	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	71.8	752 of 4461	83.1%	★★★★☆
2021	68.9	788 of 4331	81.8%	★★★★☆
2019	60.9	1281 of 4295	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	60.7	1271 of 4240	70.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	41.9	1677 of 2918	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.5	2827 of 3668	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	79.7	403 of 3556	88.7%	★★★★☆
2022	86.7	205 of 3487	94.1%	★★★★★
2021	77.2	416 of 3446	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	67.0	760 of 3333	77.2%	★★★★☆
2018	62.8	919 of 3226	71.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	3536 of 4575	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.3	2938 of 3744	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.9	3564 of 4658	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.3	2203 of 4588	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.4	1396 of 4561	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	1942 of 4499	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.8	1892 of 4348	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.6	2393 of 4306	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.0	2347 of 3075	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.8	2072 of 2619	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.2	2213 of 3184	30.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	31.1	3384 of 4413	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.4	2837 of 3644	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.4	3524 of 4465	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	64.2	1249 of 4401	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	723 of 4376	83.5%	★★★★☆
2021	61.6	1285 of 4329	70.3%	★★★★☆
2019	62.6	1227 of 4188	70.7%	★★★★☆
2018	52.9	1771 of 4168	57.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	39.8	2885 of 4520	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.8	2695 of 3705	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.1	2822 of 4594	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.9	1336 of 4521	70.4%	★★★★☆
2022	66.6	1069 of 4477	76.1%	★★★★☆
2021	65.8	1079 of 4451	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	62.3	1213 of 4309	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	52.2	1891 of 4264	55.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	31.0	3379 of 4582	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.2	2855 of 3739	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.5	3690 of 4647	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.6	2118 of 4585	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.0	2114 of 4563	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.6	2046 of 4498	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.3	2376 of 4357	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.5	2417 of 4319	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.8	2668 of 4301	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.0	2299 of 3549	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	18.9	3916 of 4292	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	46.5	1858 of 4086	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.4	967 of 3952	75.5%	★★★★☆
2021	34.4	2455 of 3799	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.3	1239 of 3684	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.2	1094 of 3558	69.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	31.2	2317 of 3006	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.9	1809 of 2612	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.9	2180 of 3108	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.6	2432 of 3106	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.6	1347 of 3082	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.9	1141 of 3082	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.4	1757 of 3142	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.6	1957 of 3127	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)83rd percentile+21 vs school

African American (2026)49th percentile+24 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)43rd percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2026)38th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)36th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)26th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)24th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)23rd percentile~ school

White (2026)23rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)23rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading46%-9 vs state

Mathematics32%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gray 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Gray Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3500 Pioneer Rd	Balch Springs	75180	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-7280	409	30	13.5	86.1%	37 (9.0%)	60 (14.7%)	303 (74.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)	28.8	3506^th of 4627 public elementary schools	24.2%		31	3367^th of 4651 public elementary schools	27.6%	139	29.4	25.0		35.3			45.5	41.2	49.2	33.3	29.1	33.3	$9,753
Hodges Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14401 Spring Oaks	Balch Springs	75180	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 290-4040	570	40	14.2	90.9%	30 (5.3%)	47 (8.2%)	478 (83.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	28.1	3556^th of 4627 public elementary schools	23.1%		26.8	3618^th of 4651 public elementary schools	22.2%	62	19.2	53.9	14.3	11.5	21.4	0.0	42.9	38.0	52.9	31.3	28.6	35.7	$10,326
Mackey Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14900 N Spring Ridge Cir	Balch Springs	75180	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 290-4160	478	33	14.5	81.0%	15 (3.1%)	179 (37.4%)	267 (55.9%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.5%)	25.2	3742^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	19.1%		19.6	4050^th of 4651 public elementary schools	12.9%	308	8.3	10.0	16.7	25.0	14.3		34.5	31.9	50.8	29.0	32.4	41.2	$12,477
Floyd Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3025 Hickory Tree Rd	Balch Springs	75180	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 882-7100	552	37	14.7	92.8%	18 (3.3%)	77 (13.9%)	443 (80.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.0%)	39.7	2769^th of 4627 public elementary schools	40.2%		30.3	3407^th of 4651 public elementary schools	26.7%	638	42.4	25.9	45.5	30.3	17.2	0.0	46.2	34.4	59.0	28.2	41.9	54.6	$10,423
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
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
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
Dr Linda Henrie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	253 W Lawson Rd	Dallas	75253	Dallas County	Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 290-4200	891	59	15.1	93.7%	33 (3.7%)	17 (1.9%)	834 (93.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	42.4	2566^th of 4627 public elementary schools	44.5%		49.6	2165^th of 4651 public elementary schools	53.5%	401	27.5	32.5	19.1	16.2	28.2	20.0	42.5	47.9	51.0	33.3	44.2	51.9	$9,941
Gilbert Cuellar Senior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	337 Pleasant Vista Dr	Dallas	75217	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-6400	715	49	14.5	98.3%	14 (2.0%)	73 (10.2%)	613 (85.7%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.4%)	75.9	906^th of 4627 public elementary schools	80.4%		44.3	2479^th of 4651 public elementary schools	46.7%	1573	58.8	35.5	69.6				55.8	75.0	68.2	72.8	57.8	48.3	$10,613
Richard Lagow Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	687 Edgeworth Dr	Dallas	75217	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-6600	415	32	12.8	98.1%	12 (2.9%)	47 (11.3%)	342 (82.4%)	4 (1.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	31.1	3364^th of 4627 public elementary schools	27.3%		49.4	2174^th of 4651 public elementary schools	53.3%	1190	39.3	46.2	42.9				26.9	38.7	53.5	27.8	32.2	48.4	$13,110

Frequently Asked Questions about Gray Elementary

What schools do graduates of Gray Elementary attend?

Students who attend Gray Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : New Middle
High : Mesquite High School

Is Gray Elementary a good school?

Gray Elementary ranks in the bottom 24.2% of Texas elementary schools.

How many students attend Gray Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 409 students attended Gray Elementary.

What district is Gray Elementary in?

Mesquite Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of Gray Elementary?

Students at Gray Elementary are 74% Hispanic, 15% African American, 9% White, 2% Two or more races.

Rate Gray Elementary!

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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.