North Mesquite High School

North Mesquite High School is a secondary school in Mesquite, Texas and a part of the Mesquite Independent School District (MISD). As of 2023, the school serves northern portions of Mesquite bounded by US 80 to the south and I-635 to the east in addition to the area bounded by Galloway Avenue, I-635, and I-30.[2] Formerly, North Mesquite served all of Sunnyvale before the completion of Sunnyvale High School, leaving the class of 2010 the last North Mesquite class catering to Sunnyvale students.[3] North Mesquite also formerly served the MISD portion of Garland before redistricting. This area is now served by Poteet High School.

North Mesquite High School
Exterior of North Mesquite High School
Address
Map
18201 LBJ Freeway

,
75150-4191

United States
Coordinates32°48′32″N 96°37′44″W / 32.8090°N 96.6288°W / 32.8090; -96.6288
Information
MottoAnimus Omnia Vincit
Established1969
School districtMesquite Independent School District
CEEB code444712
AdministratorKenneth Washington
Teaching staff178.39 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment2,591 (2018-19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio14.52[1]
Color(s)Blue, White    
SloganDream. Believe. Achieve
MascotStallion
Publication22 years ago
NewspaperBlue Prints
YearbookTrailblazer
Websitenorthmesquitehighschool.mesquiteisd.org

North Mesquite serves grades 9 through 12. The total enrollment in 2002 was 2450; the school is therefore under the UIL AAAAAA (or 6A) division. According to the MISD Report Card, the per student expenditure for the same 2002 period was 2700 USD. The stallion is the school mascot and the school colors are blue and white. The school's motto is Animus Omnia Vincit, which translates from the Latin as "Courage Conquers All."

North Mesquite High School before renovation

History

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North Mesquite High School opened in September 1969 as the second high school in Mesquite ISD, behind Mesquite High School, the school's rival in athletic competitions. The original construction consisted of four floors: A, B, C, and D. Over several decades, the enrollment expanded in accordance with the population swell that took place in Mesquite and Sunnyvale, demanding supplementary facilities. In the 1990s, a new gym was constructed. F wing and E section opened for the 2002-2003 school year providing twenty new general classrooms as well as a new Band, Orchestra, and Choir hall. During the 2008-2009 school year construction on S wing (Science wing) began, and opened for the 2009-2010 school year providing 8 Labs and 16 science classrooms. With the science wing being added, the existing rooms on A floor were renovated and added new classrooms. The front of the school was renovated; a new entrance was created, and the business office was enlarged and renovated. The cafeteria was enlarged and snack lines were added. In September 2018 a statue of the school’s mascot, a Stallion, was placed inside the building right at the entrance.

 
North Mesquite after renovation
 
North Mesquite's New Entrance

Areas served by North Mesquite

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North Mesquite serves northern portions of the city of Mesquite.

Formerly, the school also served all high school students living in Sunnyvale.[3] However, in an election on May 12, 2007, Sunnyvale residents passed a bond creating Sunnyvale High School. From the 2007-2008 school year, ninth grade students in Sunnyvale were housed in Sunnyvale Middle School for two years, until the construction of the high school was complete. Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, students attended classes at the actual SHS campus. One grade was added consecutively to the high school, making the class of 2010 the last North Mesquite class that catered to Sunnyvale students.[citation needed] Thomas Korosec of D Magazine implied that changing racial demographics at North Mesquite may have motivated the Sunnyvale district to build its own high school.[3]

Demographics

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By the 2010s, most of the students were Hispanic/Latino and African-American with 11% being other.[3]

Standardized dress code

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All students in North Mesquite are required to dress according to a standardized dress code (similar to a school uniform) as of 2005; the code is used in all Mesquite ISD middle schools, high schools, and some Elementary schools in the district

Feeder patterns

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Mesquite ISD elementary schools that feed into North Mesquite include all of Florence, Lawrence, McKenzie, Motley, Range, Rugel, Shands, and Tosch. Price Elementary used to be a part of the feeder pattern for NMHS, but that was changed in 2017 for student benefit.

Part of McDonald Middle School and all of Vanston Middle School in Mesquite ISD feed into North Mesquite. (The other alumni of McDonald fed into West Mesquite High School until they were redirected to Frasier Middle School)

Rivalry

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North Mesquite's rival is Mesquite High School. The rivalry dates back to when North Mesquite was founded in 1969. The school was the first to split from Mesquite High, which was then the only high school in the city, and thus the rivalry started.

Big Blue Band

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The North Mesquite Band, known as the Big Blue Band, was started with the opening of the school in 1969.

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "NORTH MESQUITE H S". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  2. ^ "MISD Attendance Zones 2022-2023" (PDF). Mesquite Independent School District. 2022. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  3. ^ a b c d Korosec, Thomas (March 2012). "Sunnyvale: The Whitest Town in North Texas". D Magazine. Retrieved 2019-10-30.