Enrollment
787
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mesquite, TX
Mcdonald Middle
Federal NCES profile for Mcdonald Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 483039003409
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcdonald Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #8 of 10
- middle schools in Mesquite · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 83.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcdonald Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcdonald Middle ranks #8 of 10 middle schools in Mesquite, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcdonald Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcdonald Middle
Mcdonald Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Mesquite, Texas, enrolling 787 students.
At 14.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 83.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 787 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,802 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #594.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 394 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 257 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 787 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Mesquite Isd also operates Horn H S (2,757 students) and Mesquite H S (2,294 students) alongside Mcdonald Middle.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mcdonald Middle compares
Mcdonald Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.2% | ▲ 34% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 787 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
787
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 57% in Texas - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,612
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 394 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
179
in-school suspensions + 78 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 22.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 67.3%
African American 19.3%
White 9.0%
Two or More 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.1, Mcdonald Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mesquite Isd, which includes Mcdonald Middle.
$11,612
Per student
-15%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 54.7%
Federal 14.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Mcdonald Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horn H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mesquite H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Mesquite H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Mesquite H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vroonland - Vanguard H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcdonald Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,757
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,294
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,099
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,997
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,605
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~787 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcdonald Middle's federal record.
- Compare Mcdonald Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Mesquite Isd's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Mcdonald Middle
How many students attend Mcdonald Middle?
Mcdonald Middle has 787 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mesquite, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald Middle is 14.8:1, which is 1% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcdonald Middle?
83.2% of students at Mcdonald Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcdonald Middle?
The largest demographic group at Mcdonald Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 67.3% of enrollment, in Mesquite, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcdonald Middle?
Mcdonald Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mcdonald Middle rank among middle schools in Mesquite?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcdonald Middle ranks #8 of 10 middle schools in Mesquite, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Mesquite on the city page.
Is Mcdonald Middle a good school?
Mcdonald Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Mesquite Isd?
Besides Mcdonald Middle, Mesquite Isd also operates Horn H S (2,757 students), Mesquite H S (2,294 students), and North Mesquite H S (2,099 students). See the Mesquite Isd district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.