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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DESOTO ISD·NCES 481686006396

Desoto West Middle School

800 N WESTMORELAND, DESOTO, TX 75115 · (972) 230-1820 · Dallas County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL370 STUDENTS
F
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 1% of Texas public middle schools
  • DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
  • FBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
  • DThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.

Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Texas public middle schools

Enrollment
370
Middle
DISTRICT 507 · STATE 643
Student : Teacher
21.4:1
17 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.1:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
60%
221 students
DISTRICT 64% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 610528%
Grade 711331%
Grade 815241%
Student demographics
38%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 45% · STATE 63% · US 70%
White
51%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 24% · US 43%
Hispanic
6818%
DISTRICT 24% · STATE 54% · US 30%
Black
28376%
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 13% · US 15%
Asian
10%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 6% · US 6%
Two+
134%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 3% · US 5%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
23263%
Female
13837%

School pathway

Students here typically continue to
Desoto West Middle School→Desoto High School
Based on grade levels within DESOTO ISD. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.

Discussions

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Test scores

STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or Above
Reading
27.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +3.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
21.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +12.0pp since 2020

What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 27 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 21 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 3 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 12 points.

Performance levels, 2025-26

SubjectMasters Grade LevelMeets Grade LevelApproaches Grade LevelDid Not Meet Grade Level
Reading7.0%20.0%35.0%38.0%
Mathematics2.0%19.0%27.0%52.0%
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.

STAAR results by year

School yearReadingMathematics
2025-2627.0%21.0%
2024-2530.0%21.0%
2023-2436.0%25.0%
2022-2340.0%17.0%
2021-2236.0%17.0%
2020-2124.0%9.0%
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Demographically-adjusted score · methodology
Tier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of TX schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
23.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.2%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-24.4pp
below demographic expectation

What this means: About 24% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 48% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.

BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →

Schools most like Desoto West Middle School

Desoto West Middle School's state test result (23.8% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
Desoto West Middle School this school37059.7%23.8%
Bessie Coleman Middle School
CEDAR HILL
48874.2%26.3%
Smith Intermediate School
FORNEY
68064.6%34.6%
Yellowstone College Preparatory
HOUSTON
32157.0%17.6%
Brown Middle School
FORNEY
56875.7%33.0%
Cedar Hill Collegiate Academy
CEDAR HILL
34541.7%64.5%
Matched among Texas middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.

Where Desoto West Middle School ranks

Among middle schools
MeasureThis schoolIn TexasIn Dallas County
State test proficiency
ranked highest first
23.8%#1,542 of 1,635#109 of 118
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
21.0%#1,608 of 1,670
▼ 64
#119 of 123
▼ 7
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
27.0%#1,650 of 1,670
▼ 34
#123 of 123
▼ 3
3-year test score change
ranked biggest drop first
-4.5pp#102 of 1,570#19 of 121
Enrollment
ranked largest first
370#1,310 of 1,749#112 of 126
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
21.4:1#1,529 of 1,542#122 of 123
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
38.0%#1,126 of 1,543#84 of 123
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
59.7%#952 of 1,648#107 of 121
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked steepest decline first
-45.0%#30 of 942#5 of 80
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
370
-125 (-25%) vs 2020
-18% since 1990-91, when it was 452
Student : Teacher
21.4:1
was 17.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-2537017.321.4:160% (221)
2023-2439929.913.3:177% (306)
2022-2343931.414.0:170% (307)
2020-214952917.1:170% (348)
2017-1867356.311.9:170% (469)
2015-167385114.5:166% (487)
2010-117605214.6:163% (481)
2000-015603317.0:124% (136)
1990-914522418.8:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Desoto West Middle School.

Since 2017-18: students down 45% (673 to 370); teachers down 69% (56.3 to 17.3).

About Desoto West Middle School

Desoto West Middle School is a low-enrollment middle school in DESOTO, Texas, administered by DESOTO ISD. A federal count lists 370 students at the school, in grades 6 through 8. Average enrollment for middle schools in Texas is about 643, so this school runs 42% smaller than that.

The 11 schools of DESOTO ISD, including Desoto West Middle School, enroll 5,708 students.

Desoto West Middle School is 76% Black by enrollment. Beyond that, enrollment is 18% Hispanic and 4% multiracial. In Dallas County overall, about 22% of residents are Black. Pick two students at random and there is a 38% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.

Federal data list 17.3 full-time-equivalent teachers at Desoto West Middle School in 2024-25, for a ratio of 21.4:1. That is higher than the 14.4:1 average for middle schools in Texas. The lunch program counts 60% of students at Desoto West Middle School as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Across public schools in Dallas County, the average is 77%.

allk12 grades Desoto West Middle School an F. The grade compares the school only with Texas public middle schools, because each state gives its own test.

On allk12's BeatsExpectations measure, Desoto West Middle School is among the bottom 10% of schools in Texas. Predicted: 48.2%. Actual: 23.8%.

Federal survey data for Dallas County show that the median household income is $76,547, roughly 36% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. There are 771 public schools in Dallas County, enrolling about 459,645 students in all.

The shortest distance from Desoto West Middle School to another public school is about 0.4 miles, to Ruby Young Talented and Gifted Academy. Other public schools within five miles: at least 8. The nearest schools with test data average 36.5%, higher than Desoto West Middle School's 23.8%.

The federal government classifies Desoto West Middle School's location as Suburb: Large.

Enrollment at Desoto West Middle School declined 25% between 2020-21 and 2024-25, from 495 to 370 students. Federal data show the ratio rising from 17.1:1 to 21.4:1.

Parents and students can post about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week at Desoto West Middle School. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.

Dallas County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
2,621,179
Census ACS
Median income
$76,547
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
771
459,645 students

Quick facts

School name
Desoto West Middle School
District
DESOTO ISD
Address
800 N WESTMORELAND, DESOTO, TX 75115
Phone
(972) 230-1820
County
Dallas County
Level
Middle
Grade range
06–08
Total enrollment
370
Teachers (FTE)
17
Student–teacher ratio
21.4:1
Free and reduced lunch
221 (60%)
Locale
21-Suburb: Large
NCES ID
481686006396
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in DESOTO ISD
Other schools in DESOTO
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Desoto West Middle School
How many students attend Desoto West Middle School?
Desoto West Middle School enrolls approximately 370 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does Desoto West Middle School serve?
Desoto West Middle School serves grades 06-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desoto West Middle School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Desoto West Middle School is approximately 21.4:1 (17 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Desoto West Middle School?
Student demographics at Desoto West Middle School are roughly 1% White, 18% Hispanic, 76% Black, 0% Asian, 4% Two or more.
What district is Desoto West Middle School in?
Desoto West Middle School is part of DESOTO ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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