HODGES EL

HODGES EL is a primary school of medium-sized scale in BALCH SPRINGS, Texas, operated by MESQUITE ISD, works with 570 students in grades pre-K through 5.

MESQUITE ISD comprises 51 schools with combined enrollment of 37,930 students; HODGES EL is among them.

In terms of who attends, HODGES EL logs that the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (84%). Other groups include 8% Black, 5% White, 3% multiracial. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 41%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, HODGES EL has 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.1:1, putting HODGES EL tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 91% of students at HODGES EL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Dallas County (around 77%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), HODGES EL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 34.2%; this one delivers 24.5%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Dallas County) shows that median household income runs about $76,547, 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Dallas County runs 771 public schools (combined enrollment of about 459,645 students), of which HODGES EL is one.

The closest other public school is NEW MIDDLE, roughly 0.4 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), HODGES EL ranks 7th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 36.9%.

The campus sits in a bedroom-community setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at HODGES EL has ticked down 26%, going from 767 students in 2018 to 570 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share ticked up from 69% to 84%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 16.2:1 in 2018 to 14.3:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, members of the HODGES EL community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.