DESOTO ISD operates 10 public schools serving 6,322 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Texas. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 3 other, 2 middle, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 5,306 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Dallas County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,420 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 49.2% local, 29.0% state, and 21.8% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $74,865 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 33/100, ranked #836 of 1044 in Texas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (20 AP courses district-wide), a 261.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 49.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 70.8% African American, 22.8% Hispanic or Latino, 2.2% White across the district's schools.
Desoto H S accounts for 36.5% of all DESOTO ISD student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means DESOTO ISD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
DESOTO ISD school enrollment varies 102× across entities
DESOTO ISD school enrollment ranges from 19 students (lowest) to 1,936 students (highest), a spread of 1,917 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
DESOTO ISD has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 64.1% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
DESOTO ISD student-counselor ratio is 262:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within DESOTO ISD is typically wider than the DESOTO ISD-aggregate figure suggests.
DESOTO ISD chronic absenteeism rate is 49.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
DESOTO ISD has 10 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 4 elementary, 3 other. Total enrollment is 6,322 students.
How much does DESOTO ISD spend per student?
DESOTO ISD spends $13,420 per student. The district has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #836 in Texas.
What is the average teacher salary in DESOTO ISD?
The average teacher salary in DESOTO ISD is $74,865 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near DESOTO ISD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Dallas County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of DESOTO ISD?
DESOTO ISD students are 70.8% African American, 22.8% Hispanic or Latino, 2.2% White, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for DESOTO ISD?
DESOTO ISD has an equity score of 33/100, ranking #836 out of 1044 districts in Texas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.