For the first time since the Texas Education Agency began rating school districts seven years ago, the Mesquite ISD has earned a Texas Recognized rating from the TEA. The Texas Recognized rating comes from the TEA's 2000 District and Schools Accountability Ratings and reflects steady, marked progress for the MISD as a whole.

In addition to Mesquite's Recognized status, 11 MISD campuses earned Exemplary ratings and nine campuses earned Recognized status. No MISD school fell into the Low Performing category.

The following MISD schools earned state Exemplary status:
Poteet High School, Kimbrough and Wilkinson middle schools
and Austin, Beasley, Kimball, Motley, Pirrung, Price, Porter, and Smith elementary schools.

Schools must have a 90% passing rate on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test, a 94% attendance rate and a dropout rate of 1% or less to be awarded the Exemplary status. Only 20 percent of all schools statewide earned a 2000 Exemplary rating.

This marks the sixth time in seven years Kimball Elementary has earned this distinction. Motley Elementary has been a state Exemplary campus for the fourth time in five years.

"We are extremely pleased and honored by this accomplishment. The MISD has a goal of being an Exemplary district. This is one step closer to achieving that goal," said Dr. John Horn, MISD superintendent. "This did not happen by accident. It validates the planning, hard work, and dedication of our students, teachers, staff and parents. We have made great progress, and we look forward to adding more campuses to the Exemplary list next year."

Berry Middle School, as well as Cannaday, Floyd, McKenzie, Moss, Range, Shaw, Thompson and Tosch elementary schools all earned state Recognized status. The other 21 MISD campuses were rated as Acceptable campuses by the TEA.