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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at IDEA MESQUITE HILLS ACADEMY?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
641
Elementary
DISTRICT 657 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 480021114273
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy
11881 DYER ST, EL PASO, TX 79934 · (915) 888-4700 · El Paso County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY11-CITYCHARTERTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL641 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 70% of Texas public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- AThree-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 elementary schools
Student : Teacher
22.2:1
29 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.6:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
73%
466 students
DISTRICT 83% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 76 | 12% |
| Grade 1 | 120 | 19% |
| Grade 2 | 117 | 18% |
| Grade 3 | 127 | 20% |
| Grade 4 | 104 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 97 | 15% |
This year's kindergarten class (76) is 22% smaller than its 5th grade class (97).
Student demographics
33%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 27% · STATE 63% · US 70%
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
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
57.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +17.0pp since 2022
Mathematics
44.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +31.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 57 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 44 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 17 points since 2022, while math scores are up about 31 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 29.0% | 28.0% | 24.0% | 19.0% |
| Mathematics | 20.0% | 24.0% | 22.0% | 34.0% |
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 year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 57.0% | 44.0% |
| 2024-25 | 66.0% | 40.0% |
| 2023-24 | 55.0% | 32.0% |
| 2022-23 | 40.0% | 13.0% |
% 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 · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
46.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
42.6%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+3.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 46% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 43% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Texas's top nor bottom 10%.
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 IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy's state test result (46.0% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy this school | 641 | 72.7% | 46.0% |
| Murnin Elementary School SAN ANTONIO | 662 | 70.5% | 35.0% |
| Kriewald Road School of the Arts SAN ANTONIO | 610 | 75.7% | 37.4% |
| Big Country Elementary School SAN ANTONIO | 660 | 70.8% | 47.9% |
| Sgt Roberto Ituarte EL PASO | 659 | 70.7% | 67.1% |
| Cedar Brook Elementary School HOUSTON | 654 | 76.9% | 50.1% |
Matched among Texas elementary 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 IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In El Paso County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 46.0% | #1,853 of 4,401 | #59 of 133 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 44.0% | #2,358 of 4,466 ▲ 294 | #83 of 133 ▲ 13 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 57.0% | #1,685 of 4,466 ▼ 732 | #59 of 133 ▼ 34 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +24.0pp | #315 of 3,998 | #4 of 132 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 641 | #1,307 of 4,938 | #45 of 141 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.2:1 | #4,557 of 4,622 | #133 of 134 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 32.9% | #3,328 of 4,628 | #11 of 134 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 72.7% | #2,407 of 4,789 | #94 of 139 |
Ranked against other public elementary 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.
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 641 | 28.9 | 22.2:1 | 73% (466) |
| 2023-24 | 590 | 23.9 | 24.7:1 | 73% (431) |
| 2022-23 | 505 | 22.4 | 22.5:1 | 82% (415) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy.
About IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy is a mid-sized elementary school for students in EL PASO, Texas. The school offers kindergarten through 5 and enrolls 641 students. On average, elementary schools in Texas enroll around 519, and this school is 24% above that mark.
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy is among 125 schools run by IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, which serves 79,430 students.
A large majority of enrollment at IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy is Hispanic, at 81%. Other reported shares: 8% Black and 7% White. Among El Paso County residents, the Hispanic share is about 83%. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 33%.
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy reports a ratio of 22.2 students per teacher, from 28.9 full-time-equivalent teachers. Across elementary schools in Texas, the average ratio is 15.1:1. Lunch program data show 73% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Public schools in El Paso County average a similar 74%.
On the allk12 Grade, IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy lands at B+, ahead of 70% of Texas public elementary schools.
Based on its free or reduced-price lunch share, the BeatsExpectations model predicts an average proficiency rate across its state test results of 42.6% for IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy. The school posts 46.0%, 3.3 points above the prediction.
In the wider El Paso County area, the median household earns about $59,806 a year, about 26% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 16% of residents are in poverty. Across El Paso County, 273 public schools serve about 165,404 students.
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy's closest public school neighbor is IDEA Mesquite Hills College Preparatory, less than a tenth of a mile away. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools. Nearby schools average 48.4% on proficiency, and IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy is below that at 46.0%.
The school is inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more, according to its NCES locale (City: Large). NCES lists IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy as a charter school.
This page collects posts and questions about IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy, such as fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Members of the school community can share what they know.
El Paso County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
870,779
Census ACS
Median income
$59,806
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
26%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
16%
Below federal line
Schools in county
273
165,404 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
- IDEA College Preparatory PharrHigh · 848 students
- IDEA Montopolis College PreparatoryHigh · 835 students
- IDEA College PrepHigh · 823 students
- IDEA McAllen College PreparatoryHigh · 820 students
- IDEA Riverview College PreparatoryHigh · 813 students
- IDEA College Preparatory MissionHigh · 798 students
Other schools in EL PASO
- Eastlake High SchoolHigh · 3,004 students
- Pebble Hills High SchoolHigh · 2,952 students
- Franklin High SchoolHigh · 2,835 students
- Socorro High SchoolHigh · 2,579 students
- Coronado High SchoolHigh · 2,576 students
- Montwood High SchoolHigh · 2,499 students
Nearby schools
- IDEA Mesquite Hills College Preparatory0.0 mi · 352
- Desertaire Elementary School2.5 mi · 505
- North Star Elementary School2.9 mi · 552
- Barron Elementary School3.2 mi · 368
- Parkland Elementary School3.7 mi · 471
- Dr Joseph Torres Elementary School3.9 mi · 558
Frequently asked questions
About IDEA Mesquite Hills AcademyHow many students attend IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy?
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy enrolls approximately 641 students in grades KG-05.
What age range does IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy serve?
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy serves students from grade KG through grade 05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy?
The student-to-teacher ratio at IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy is approximately 22.2:1 (29 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy?
At IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy, the student body is approximately 7% White, 81% Hispanic, 8% Black, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Is IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy public or private?
IDEA Mesquite Hills Academy is a public K-12 school operated as a charter, overseen by IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.