Schools in Mesquite (Austin, Spring, Balch Springs: high crime, houses, neighborhoods)

[fancysea]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to moving to Mesquite. I need someone to tell me about the public elementary schools. I need the best school for my daughter.
I do not know anything about Mesquite, but I will be working there in summer.

HELP!

Thanks for your advice

Fancysea

Cheers!

[ChristieP]

Here's the Mesquite ISD website:
Mesquite Independent School District

Texas school rankings website:
2007 Accountability Rating System

You want to live in an area that feeds into Poteet High School. Some people here say Horne High School is also OK. DO NOT live in an area that feeds into North Mesquite, Mesquite or West Mesquite HS! Yes, Motley and Lawrence Elementaries are Exemplary, but the neighborhood there is really rough and the property values are quite low. (My sister's kids went to Lawrence for several years.)

Good luck!

[FarNorthDallas]

I have had several friends with kids in Mesquite schools. All said it was a declining district. Some moved to Forney. The one friend I have now with kids still in the district said the same thing Christie said - Poteet High School attendance zone is the only place to be in Mesquite ISD.

[fancysea]

Hi, Thanks A LOT for your replay.
I am a little confused. I checked about Poteet, but do you know what elemntary schools are good, because Poteet is a road and I only found Poteet HS. My daughter goes to elementary.

[fancysea]

Hi, and thanks for your advice. Forney is another city? Do you knou what elementary schools feed Poteet HS?

Regards

[ChristieP]

Look at the elementary schools that will eventually send kids to Poteet High School or Kimbrough middle school. I wish I knew the specific names, but I didn't grow up on that side of town so I don't know for sure. As long as the area you live in sends kids to Poteet High, you will be OK.

[jeffari-al-texani]

Okay...first things first, you asked for the elementary schools that feed into Poteet, here they are:

Austin Elementary
Beasley Elementary
Cannaday Elementary
Kimball Elementary
Porter Elementary

That's basically going to limit your housing search to the north of US 80, south of I 30, and east of LBJ (635). That was the newest area of construction until all the farms in southeast Mesquite were turned into a housing development.

I don't necessarily agree that those are the only schools that will give your child a quality education, and I certainly don't think those are the only neighborhoods that you want to look at. My nephew attends Tisinger Elementary, and his parents are extremely happy with the education he is getting.

Good luck on your search.

Oh, and to answer your question about Forney, yes, it's another city, east of Mesquite on Highway 80. It's a growing area (they are going to open their second high school in 2009).

[Grainraiser]

I have lived in Mesquite for 12 years and will offer you this advice. Mesquite Poteet is the best high school in Mesquite. I will not agree that the others horrible. It simply is not true. The nicest houses in Mesquite are in the South East portion of the city. The vast majority of them feed into Horn High School and there is nothing wrong with Horn High School. It amazes me that many have bad things to say about the school. No one person has given a reason why they think its bad. I know many students at Horn and I have never heard a student or a parent complain. My son goes to Pirrung and it has always gotten great ratings. The only school I would be leary of is Thompson elementary. The school is overcrowded due to all the new construction. A new school is going to be built in the next couple of years but until then the over crowding issue will be a problem. I suggest you go to the schools yourself and see what you think. I have not seen one resident of the city post a reply to your question.

[fancysea]

Hi, and Thanks,

What do you know about Balch Springs tx. Today I had a phone call and I will be working in that place not on Mesquite.

Cheers

Fancysea

[ChristieP]

DO NOT MOVE TO BALCH SPRINGS!! It is not a nice area. Very low-income and fairly high crime. The schools there are AWFUL. You can still live in Mesquite and drive in to Balch Springs every day.