Mesquite High School is a high school in Mesquite, Texas. MHS serves Mesquite and a small portion of Balch Springs for the grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Mesquite Independent School District. Total enrollment for the school as of October 2011 was 2,804 and therefore places it in the UIL 6A division. "Stormy the Skeeter" is the school mascot for the school's various athletic teams (all known with some variant of the word "Skeeter") and the school's colors are Maroon and White.HistoryIn the March 1901, the Mesquite Independent School District was incorporated at the behest of the citizens of Mesquite Texas to serve the primary and secondary educational needs of the city. The first school was established at the current site of MHS in 1902 with an enrollment of approximately 200 students. A new high school was built on the property in June 1923. MHS was officially recognized as an accredited high school in June 1924 by the Texas State Department of Education, thus allowing its students to attend Texas colleges and universities without having to take remedial coursework. Additional expansions occurred during 1938 and 1939 as a part of the Works Progress Administration created by President Roosevelt. A historical marker can be found at the street side of L. building and an WPA placard can be found on the outside of the art room to mark these significant events in MHS' history.MHS students became known as "Skeeters" in 1944. This was a simplification of the traditional "Mesquiters" which had been the previous mascot name for the school. 1954 marked a significant change at MHS when the district relocated all its other existing grade levels to other sites within the city and the campus was solely dedicated to high school education. Integration of the school began in 1964 when area African-American students were allowed to enroll at MHS for the first time. During 1966, a six phase renovation project plan began. The final phase of construction was completed in 1999.
