DISTRICT NEWS

We are excited to share with you a new change in our school-assigned device program. Beginning this summer, students in 1st through 11th grade will keep their school-assigned device year-round. This change was made to ensure all students have access to ebooks, audiobooks, and the ReadSquared summer reading program at home on their own device all summer! Additionally, taking their device home over the summer will allow all students to access online educational and enrichment resources to explore and create. Reading, thinking, and creating over the summer will continue to build the skills students learn in school and decrease the chance of learning loss while school is not in session.

Be sure to follow the Mesquite ISD Facebook or visit our www.mesquiteisd.org/summer-device webpage for tips and ideas to help your student learn and explore on their device all summer.

Moving to New Campus or Withdrawing?
Students moving to a new campus within the district will take their assigned school device with them on the first day of school. The device will be transferred in August to their account at the new campus. 

Students who are leaving Mesquite ISD should return their assigned device to their current campus when completing the withdrawal process.

Summer Device Help
We know accidents happen and want to make sure your child’s device is working properly all summer as well as when they return to school. Our student help desk will be available during the summer for troubleshooting help and also to request repairs. Please contact the help desk at 972-882-8788 or send an email to stuhelpdesk@mesquiteisd.org as soon as a problem occurs.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions document.
 

We are proud to announce that Mesquite ISD has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation. This is the 11th consecutive year that our school district has received this prestigious award, which recognizes and celebrates our commitment to music education and our efforts to provide access to music for all students.

At Mesquite ISD, we are committed to promoting music excellence and helping our students develop their musical talents. That's why we offer general music classes twice a week to all elementary students. In middle school, students can participate in band, choir, or orchestra, which extends into high school, where students can explore a diverse range of music programs, including band, choir, orchestra, mariachi, jazz band, percussion ensemble and steel drum band. 

Congratulations to our music program staff and talented students for achieving this recognition.  

The art team Snake Eyes from West Mesquite High School has been selected as one of the six winners in the PRISMATIC competition. This competition invited high school students to design an immersive art pop-up experience for SPARK!, inspired by MeowWolf. The team has been awarded a grant of $2,500 to design and sculpt a pop-up art installation room for the PRISMATIC Exhibit at SPARK! Dallas. The exhibit is scheduled to open on June 1, 2024.

Snake Eyes is a group of seven WMHS students from 10th to 12th grade who collaborated under the supervision of Mesquite ISD art teacher Megan Eakins. They worked together to develop a concept, design proposal and budget. Their winning proposal centers around an interactive forest that challenges visitors to choose between generosity and greed.

Over the next two months, the Meow Wolf Grapevine directors will mentor the students as they plan, create and install their designs. This collaborative effort will provide students with valuable hands-on experience. The immersive pop-up will open to the public from June through September 2024. 

Members of the Snake Eyes Team are Chris Ruiz, Jasmine Bussell, Emma Hasbun, Haley Rojas, Heaven Medders, Mariah Mercado and Esmerelda Soto.

All six Mesquite ISD high schools are part of the Dallas County Promise initiative and Dallas College just announced they are waiving the family income cap to qualify as a Promise Scholar for the Fall of 2024.This means all MISD graduates in the Class of 2024  are now eligible to receive the Dallas College Promise Scholarship if they complete the following four steps:

• Submitted a Promise Path form by Feb. 2
• Complete and submit your FAFSA or TASFA as soon as possible an no later than May 1  
• Apply to Dallas College by May 1 
• Attend one of the Dallas College Registration nights to enroll in classes for Fall 2024 (Held at the Mesquite ISD Professional Development Center on May 15, 16, 20, 22, or 28)
   

What is Dallas County Promise? 

A Promise Scholarship at Dallas College covers the cost of tuition (books included) for up to three years or the completion of an associate degree (whichever comes first). Tuition is paid for up to five years or degree completion for a bachelor’s degree in education or nursing at Dallas College.

Still need to complete your FAFSA/TASFA??

Join us at one of the two upcoming financial aid lab:

Wednesday, March 20 

Wednesday, April 3

4 - 7:30 PM at PDC (3819 Towne Crossing Blvd)

If you have questions about enrolling at Dallas College, please contact a recruitment specialist at DC-DallasPromise@DallasCollege.edu.

Need to apply for admission? Submit an ApplyTexas application. 

Already applied? Check your status in the Dallas College Admissions portal. 

Learn more about applying for financial aid on the Dallas College website.

In collaboration with Cook Children’s Hospital, Mesquite ISD has become one of only 27 Heart Safe School Districts in the state of Texas, with each of the 52 MISD campuses receiving individual “Heart Safe School” designations through Project Adam. Project Adam is a national organization that aims to ensure schools are equipped with the necessary tools and resources to respond to cardiac emergencies.

The Heart Safe School designation is awarded to schools that complete an extensive checklist outlining campus specific measures to prepare for a cardiac emergency. These measures include: ensuring easy accessibility of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on campus, training a medical emergency response team in CPR and AED use, developing and implementing a standardized medical emergency response plan, and Medical Emergency Response Team (M.E.R.T) drills. 

Due to the unpredictability of a cardiac arrest, achieving a high level of readiness is essential to improving survival rates. “We believe if we standardize and practice our medical emergency response on each campus, we will be in the best position to save the life of a child, staff member or family member,” said Macey Melton, Director of Health Services.

Formerly known as the aquatic center of Dallas College Eastfield Campus, the Mesquite Natatorium has been expanded and upgraded to serve MISD students and City of Mesquite residents.

"We are proud to offer this state-of-the-art facility to our students and community members, and we are excited to see the positive impact it will have on our community," said Mesquite ISD Superintendent Dr. Ángel Rivera.

• Key features of the Mesquite Natatorium at Dallas College's Eastfield Campus include:

• Expanded pool width to accommodate capacity

• Two diving boards for enhanced aquatic experiences

• Eight 25-yard swim lanes and six 25-meter swim lanes

• Pool depth ranging from 3.6 feet to 12.5 feet

• New tile and updated pool finish

• Installation of a competition-ready Myrtha gutter system

• Transparent OpenAire aluminum structure

The most innovative aspect of the 13,580-square-foot natatorium is its transparent OpenAire aluminum structure, which allows for year-round usage regardless of weather conditions. The design enables the enclosure to open during good weather, providing an outdoor pool experience.

The Mesquite ISD swim team began practicing in the natatorium last month. The facility opens to the public on Monday, Feb. 12. 

The West Mesquite High School ROTC Brigade has qualified for the All Army Nationals and will compete in February 2024 following an outstanding performance at the recent state competition held in San Antonio. This marks the team's return to the national competition since 2010, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to excellence and showcasing the talent of the West Mesquite High School ROTC program. 

West Mesquite will compete against 45 schools from 15 states in various categories, including unarmed regulation drills, exhibition drills, inspection and color guard. The students competing at the national level have worked hard and have been preparing for this competition since September 2023. 

The students competing at the national level include: 

Alexa Gutierrez 11th 
Liliana Lozano 11th 
Mia Rodriguez 11th
Alexis Ramirez 11th
Sarah Anderson 11th
Litzy Villanueva 10th
Ogunseye Memunat 10th
Lia Hernandez 10th 
Arionna Gossett 10th
Bryan Acevedo 10th 
Ogunseye Xhaffy 9th
Ximena Garcia 9th
Emily Fuentes 9th
Domini Gugino 9th
Bianca Gonzalez 9th
Angelina Vargas 9th 

Sergeant First Class Lee Ferrell 
First Sergeant Carolyn Suazo
Colonel James McGrory 

Mesquite ISD is one of 32 educational organizations in the state to be honored by the Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO).

The TASBO Award of Excellence in Financial Management is given to Texas school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and education services centers that demonstrate professional standards, best practices, and innovations in the area of financial management and reporting. For 2024, Mesquite ISD was among a select number of districts that met the stringent criteria to qualify for the award.

January is School Board Recognition Month and Mesquite ISD is celebrating its trustees for their dedication and commitment to the district and its students.

The theme of this year’s School Board Recognition Month is Locally Elected, Community Connected, which highlights the connection between school trustees and their communities. School board members are the largest group of locally-elected officials in the state.

Local school board members are responsible for ensuring the structure that provides a solid foundation for our school system. They are strong advocates for public education and are responsible for communicating the needs of the school district to the public and the public’s expectations to the district. 

The Mesquite ISD School Board was honored at their regular meeting on January 9, with student thank-you cards, artwork, student performances and other tokens of appreciation. Ian Lee, a John Horn High School senior, addressed the Board on behalf of the district's 38,000 students for Board Appreciation Month. Additionally, on behalf of the Library Services Department, a dedicated book was placed in the library of each campus in the name of each Trustee.

Meet the Mesquite ISD Board of Trustees:

Elaine Hornsby, President Place 6 - serving since 2015
Robert Seward, Vice President Place 5 - serving since 1993
Kevin Carbó, Secretary Place 7 - serving since 2015 (also served from 1996 - 2014)
Teia Collier, Trustee Place 1, serving since 2021
Eddie Rose, Trustee Place 2 - serving since 2016
Gary Bingham, Trustee Place 3 - serving since 1996
Greg Everett, Trustee Place 4 - serving since 2014 (also served from 1991 - 2009)
 

ABC News' Mireya Villarreal recently visited Mesquite ISD to find out more about how our district is attacking the nationwide teacher shortage. Watch the full story and learn how Dr. Rivera's commitment to increasing salaries and establishing prestige in the teaching profession has lead to a dramatic drop in the number of teacher vacancies. Additionally, two of our very own educators share with the national audience how the District's innovative incentive programs like Pathways Advancing Certified Educators (PACE) and Excellence in Teaching Incentive Program (ETIP) are attracting and keeping talented and passionate teachers in Mesquite ISD classrooms.

Watch the full story here.

Kevin Carbó of Mesquite ISD has been reelected to a three-year term on the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Board of Directors, representing TASB Region 10, Position D. The election was held during the Association’s 2023 Delegate Assembly on Sept. 30 in Dallas.

Carbó was elected to the Mesquite ISD (MISD) Board in 1996 and served continuously until 2014. He was reelected to the board in November 2015. In 2018, he joined the TASB Board of Directors.

Carbó’s involvement with MISD began in the 1980s as a PTA member and included serving as first vice-president of the Mesquite Council of PTAs. A 1998 graduate of Leadership TASB, he has presided over several boards, including the TASB Risk Management Fund Board, the North Texas Area Association of School Boards, and the National Hispanic Council of School Board Members, a council of the National School Boards Association (NSBA). He has served as a director on the NSBA board and a member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

He graduated from Colegio San Antonio in Puerto Rico. Carbó earned his Bachelor of Science in finance from Dallas Baptist University in 1995 and received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Dallas in 1999. He recently retired from the City of Dallas where he was as a manager in the Aviation Department.

TASB is a nonprofit association established in 1949 to serve local Texas school boards. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve more than 5.4 million public school students. For more information on TASB, visit tasb.org.

As an added layer of daily security, all Mesquite ISD elementary campuses now have a designated armed security guard who will be on site each day. These security personnel undergo the same background checks and fingerprinting as other MISD employees. While they will serve as consistent, valued campus team members, the guards are not law enforcement officers. Guards will not:

• Discipline students
• Be asked to participate in student discipline
• Be asked to supervise a student one on one
• Counsel/meet/mentor students in a private setting
• Leave the campus for any reason prior to being relieved

This latest step ensures that Mesquite ISD complies with recent legislation requiring armed security for all public school campuses. Similarly, all MISD middle and high school campuses have at least one school resource officer (SRO) on staff to provide a daily law enforcement presence.

Do you have at least 50 college hours and a heart to serve as a teacher? Follow this link to learn more about and apply for the PACE Program, where you serve as a teacher while completing an undergraduate degree. Applications are due by Jan. 3, 2023. Participants will be notified of acceptance by the end of January.

Contact Jennifer Hiser (jhiser@mesquiteisd.org or ext. 27533) for more information about pathways for employees who want to become a teacher in Mesquite ISD.

SB 463 was passed during the 85^th Texas Legislature (2017) and required the commissioner of education to establish criteria to allow individuals who entered high school prior to the 2011-2012 school year and who successfully completed all the curriculum requirements for graduation, but who did not perform successfully on the required state assessment (TAKS) after at least three attempts to qualify for graduation. The new rules establish which individuals may be eligible to graduate and receive a high school diploma by meeting certain alternative requirements.

Click here to learn more

Mesquite ISD homeroom teachers at Rugel Elementary were surprised last Friday, Aug. 12 by Kidoodle TV with $500 Amazon gift cards for their classrooms!!  

Second grade teacher Danielle Tresslar had initially written a letter to Kidoodle TV for a chance of being selected as part of their Clear the List campaign. After receiving this letter, Kidoodle wanted to go a step further and reached out to the school with plans to help a total of 18 teachers! 

What teachers thought would be a Friday afternoon meeting with the principal was actually a surprise when Kidoodle announced their support of $9,000 in gift cards evenly distributed among them.

Mesquite ISD was one of the various school districts in North Texas selected to receive free school supplies from Kroger. In total, Kroger raised $750,000 in school supplies for students across the region. 

MISD received 5,083 school supply kits this week and will distribute them across campuses. MISD Social Worker Jasmine Battles represented our school district in today’s check presentation. 

Many thanks to Kroger for their generous donation that will benefit our schools.