SE Dallas News

Analysis of enrollment data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Texas Health and Human Services shows that Mesquite ISD’s public school enrollment dropped by -3.46% from 2019 to now.  

From 2011 to 2020, Mesquite ISD has experienced an average yearly growth rate of 0.07%. Contrasted with the -3.46% decline from 2019 to 2020, there may be some cause for concern to public officials.

This local decline in public school enrollment is set against the backdrop of a historic drop in Texas public school enrollment.

In the past, Texas has experienced some of the largest public school enrollment growth. However, according to the reports of a Texas 2036 analysis of 99% of Texas school districts, the Lone Star State is looking at nearly a “4% decline in year-over-year student enrollment, unprecedented in a state that has long had one of the fastest-growing student populations in the nation." 

Along with the rest of the state, Mesquite Superintendent  David Vroonland has been faced with the challenge of adequately serving students, parents, and teachers while in the thick of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

While the state has temporarily suspended the A-F Ratings for districts, Mesquite ISD currently maintains a B rating on the scale. Meanwhile,  students will take the STAAR test this school year.

In explaining the decision to suspend the A-F ratings, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said that the “last nine months have been some of the most disruptive of our lives” and “challenges have been especially pronounced for our parents, teachers and students.” The pandemic has “disrupted school operations in fundamental ways that have often been outside the control of our school leaders, making it far more difficult to use these ratings as a tool to support student academic growth.”

State legislators Royce West and Bob Hall as well as Jasmine Crockett, Victoria Neave, Toni Rose, and Rhetta Bowers will be facing challenges of their own as they gather in Austin during this year’s legislative session to navigate through budget shortfalls exacerbated by a contracted state economy as well as issues related to public education.

Faced with the difficulties of schooling throughout the pandemic, it has been reported that many parents are exploring alternative options to public education - including substantial numbers interested in home schooling. 

The Texas Home School Coalition reports a growing national and statewide trend toward home schooling. 

"Early numbers indicate that the growth in home schooling nationwide and in Texas due to COVID-19 is substantial," the coalition said. "A recent survey from Real Clear Opinions found that 40% of registered voters were more likely to enroll their children in a home school or a virtual school after the coronavirus."

A recent Gallup poll indicated that the number of families that would home school their child doubled from 5% in 2019 to 10% in 2020 while parents’ confidence in K-12 public education was slipping.