Mesquite ISD School District
School District · Mesquite, Texas
Avg Rating
6.3
out of 10
Schools
51
34 elem, 10 mid, 7 high
Enrollment
38,265
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
Avg Rating
6.3
out of 10
Schools
51
34 elem, 10 mid, 7 high
Enrollment
38,265
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
How this district compares
Texas rank
#521 of 900
districts by avg. composite
Vs. state average
-0.1
below Texas avg
Per-pupil spending
$12,223
$745 vs Texas median
District size
38,265 students
Much larger than Texas median
The short answer
Mesquite ISD ranks #521 of 900 Texas districts by overall school rating. Mesquite ISD's schools with real test data average 6.3/10 across 50 schools. Its top-rated schools are Motley EL (9.3/10), Tosch EL (8.7/10), and Kimball EL (8.6/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Rates 9.3/10 despite 92% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.8 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Mesquite ISD schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +17.7 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Mesquite ISD schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Mesquite ISD
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (50 of 51). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motley EL | 9.3 / 10 |
| 2 | Tosch EL | 8.7 / 10 |
| 3 | Kimball EL | 8.6 / 10 |
| 4 | Dr Linda Henrie EL | 8.5 / 10 |
| 5 | Achziger EL | 8.3 / 10 |
| 6 | Seabourn EL | 8.1 / 10 |
| 7 | Porter EL | 8.1 / 10 |
| 8 | Florence EL | 7.9 / 10 |
| 9 | Cross EL | 7.6 / 10 |
| 10 | Hodges EL | 7.6 / 10 |
See all 51 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
About Mesquite ISD
Mesquite ISD serves 38,265 students across 51 schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, making it one of the larger suburban districts in North Texas. With 50 ranked schools averaging a 6.5 out of 10, the district sits in mid-range territory compared to statewide peers — a useful baseline as parents evaluate individual campuses rather than relying on district-wide averages alone.
The strongest performers cluster at the elementary level. Motley Elementary leads the district with a score of 8.4 out of 10, the highest-rated campus in the system and a clear standout among its peers. McWhorter Elementary follows at 8.2, matching Poteet High School, which earns the same score and represents the district's top-performing secondary campus. Floyd Elementary and McKenzie Elementary both score 8.0, rounding out a group of five schools that consistently perform above the district average of 6.5. Parents zoned to these campuses are looking at schools that outperform the district mean by 1.5 to nearly 2 full points.
At the secondary level, Poteet High School's 8.2 rating signals real strength for families planning ahead. It stands above the district average by nearly two points, which is meaningful in a 51-school system where scores span a wide range. Parents comparing high school options within Mesquite ISD should weight that gap seriously.
The district's size — nearly 40,000 students — means campus-to-campus differences matter more than they might in a smaller system. An average score of 6.5 across 50 ranked schools tells parents that strong options exist, but so do campuses that fall well below that mark. Families new to the district will get the most out of this platform by comparing individual school scores against that 6.5 baseline, identifying whether their zoned campus clears it, and checking whether open-enrollment or transfer options put higher-rated schools like Motley or McWhorter within reach.
District Map
Schools in Mesquite ISD, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.
District Average Test Scores
Average proficiency across all schools in Mesquite ISD with test data.
Schools in Mesquite ISD
51 schoolsElementary Schools34
Middle Schools10
District Details
- State
- Texas
- City
- Mesquite
- Total Enrollment
- 38,265
- Teachers (FTE)
- 2,735
- District spending per student
- $12,223NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- Child poverty rate
- 18.2%Census SAIPE · 2024
- District directory year
- 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools are in Mesquite ISD?
Mesquite ISD has 51 schools in total — 34 elementary, 10 middle, and 7 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.
What is the average rating for Mesquite ISD?
The average composite rating for Mesquite ISD is 6.3/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.
What is the district spending per student in Mesquite ISD?
Mesquite ISD's district-level spending was $12,223 per student in fiscal year 2023, according to NCES F-33. This is district context, not an individual-school expense.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Mesquite ISD?
The average student-teacher ratio in Mesquite ISD is 14:1.
What is the top-rated school in Mesquite ISD?
Motley EL is the highest-rated school in Mesquite ISD with a composite score of 9.3/10.
What are the test scores in Mesquite ISD?
Across schools in Mesquite ISD with test data, the average math proficiency is 59.1% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 58.7%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.
How does Mesquite ISD compare to other districts in Texas?
Mesquite ISD has an average school rating of 6.3/10 across 51 schools. Families can compare this to other districts in Texas by visiting individual district pages. Factors like school size, available programs, and community demographics also play a role in choosing the right fit.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools?
MySchoolScout ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and learning environment — plus college readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context without being factored into the score. Learn more about our rating system on our methodology page.
District Averages
- Overall Rating
- 6.3/10
- Math Proficiency
- 59.1%
- ELA Proficiency
- 58.7%
How we rate schools
A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.
See how we rateOther School Districts in TX
Compare Mesquite ISD with neighboring districts in the state.
- Houston ISD (274)
- Dallas ISD (240)
- Fort Worth ISD (138)
- Northside ISD (126)
- Austin ISD (123)
- Idea Public Schools (123)
- San Antonio ISD (98)
- Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (93)
- Fort Bend ISD (83)
- Aldine ISD (80)
- Garland ISD (78)
- Katy ISD (78)
- Frisco ISD (77)
- Plano ISD (77)
- Arlington ISD (75)
- EL Paso ISD (75)
- North East ISD (75)
- Pasadena ISD (67)
- Conroe ISD (66)
- Lewisville ISD (62)
- Round Rock ISD (60)
- Brownsville ISD (56)
- Kipp Texas Public Schools (56)
- Amarillo ISD (55)
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Texas Education Agency, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.
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