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Public elementary school · Mesquite ISD · Balch Springs, Texas

Gray EL

Gray EL rates 7.0, right at the middle of Mesquite ISD's elementary schools, whose rated median is 6.8.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.0this school

7.0 on a one-to-ten scale; the Mesquite ISD median is 6.8.

#3,190 of 8,584 schools in Texas · Mesquite ISD: 34 elementary schools rated, median 6.8

The brief

A Mesquite ISD elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

Students at Gray EL score 38% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 37%).

It ranks 3,190 of 8,584 schools in Texas and 16 of 50 in Mesquite ISD.

Math35%10 points below the Texas average of 45%191 students tested · 2025 STAAR
Reading40%15 points below the Texas average of 55%191 students tested · 2025 STAAR
Proficiency is down 49 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 38% recently.2025 STAAR; 32 test records from TX state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.3
50% of the rating
Academics
5.5
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.1
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 59% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 STAAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 STAAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 75180; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Gray EL and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$70,695
Median home value
$208,100
Median rent
$1,249/mo
College educated
11.3%
Homeownership
64.1%
Poverty rate
7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 75180; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
48
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
43
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,079/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Balch Springs. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Balch Springs), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
90.9%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 9.3Compare →
  2. 8.5Compare →
  3. Hodges EL0.6 mi
    7.6Compare →
  4. Floyd EL1.3 mi
    7.5Compare →
  5. Gray ELthis school
    7.0
  6. Gentry EL1.8 mi
    6.8Compare →
  7. Mackey EL1.1 mi
    6.1Compare →
  8. 4.9Compare →
  9. 4.7Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Gray EL.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Gray EL serve?

Gray EL serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Gray EL?

Gray EL has an enrollment of approximately 427 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Gray EL?

The student-teacher ratio at Gray EL is 15.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Gray EL rank in TX?

Gray EL ranks #3,190 of 8,584 schools in TX.

What is Gray EL's MySchoolScout rating?

Gray EL has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.0 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Gray EL?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Gray EL has 59% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Gray EL a charter school?

No, Gray EL is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Gray EL a Title I school?

No, Gray EL is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Gray EL?

90.9% of students at Gray EL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
427
Student-teacher ratio
15.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
27
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Dallas County
Rank in district
#16 of 50
Schools in district
51
District spending per student
$12,223
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
18.2%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 75180)
27,006
Area average commute
36.1 min
Area median age
33.7

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

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.