Mary Lou Dodson Elementary School
Public elementary school in Lavon, Texas · Community ISD · Grades Pre-K–5
Mary Lou Dodson Elementary School serves 626 students in grades Pre-K–5 in Lavon (Collin County). It is one of 8 schools in Community ISD. By enrollment it is the 1411th largest of 4,726 public elementary schools in Texas (median 516 students). With 16.6 students per full-time teacher, it has more students per teacher than the typical Texas elementary school (14.8).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 4,726 Texas elementary schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 37.63 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Elementary |
| Grades | Pre-K–5 |
| District | Community ISD |
| County | Collin County |
| Area type | Rural, fringe |
| School meals | National School Lunch Program, free or reduced price for eligible students |
| NCES school ID | 481485022805 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Texas
| This school | Community ISD | Texas elementary schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 626 | 5,271 | 516 |
| Students per teacher | 16.6 | 18.8 | 14.8 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 58.9% | 53.4% | 72% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 80% of Texas elementary schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
Mary Lou Dodson Elementary School in context
Size
Of the 5 elementary schools in Community ISD, Mary Lou Dodson Elementary School is the 2nd largest, with 11.9% of the district's students. Its 8 closest elementary schools sit a median 4.2 miles away with a median enrollment of 581; Mary Lou Dodson Elementary School is close to their typical size.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment and school type. Share of district students = this school's students ÷ the district's students. Nearest schools by straight-line distance between NCES EDGE locations.
Grades
Its largest grade is kindergarten with 114 students, and its smallest is pre-K with 49, against an average of 89 per grade. This year grade 5 has 18% fewer students than kindergarten (94 against 114). Each grade is a different group of students, so the gap is not a dropout or growth rate. It also enrolls 49 children in pre-K.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
The largest group is Hispanic students: 40.6% here and 39.7% across Community ISD. Black students are next, at 26.4%. Students from all 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
58.9% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, against 53.4% across Community ISD and a median of 72% for Texas elementary schools. Families apply for free or reduced-price meals, and eligibility depends on household income.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Teachers
With 37.63 full-time-equivalent teachers for 626 students, Mary Lou Dodson Elementary School has 16.6 students per teacher. At the median Texas elementary school ratio of 14.8, a school with 626 students would have about 42.3 teachers, so Mary Lou Dodson Elementary School has 4.7 fewer.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Texas elementary schools (14.8).
Location
Mary Lou Dodson Elementary School is in rural territory within 5 miles of an urbanized area or 2.5 miles of a town, which NCES calls rural, fringe. The nearest other elementary school is Nesmith Elementary School, 0.7 miles away in the same district. Within 10 miles there are 44 other elementary schools, 7 of them within 5 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| Hispanic | 40.6% |
| Black | 26.4% |
| White | 24.1% |
| Asian | 5.9% |
| Two or more races | 2.1% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.8% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0.2% |
46% of students are girls and 54% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Pre-K | 49 |
| Kindergarten | 114 |
| Grade 1 | 88 |
| Grade 2 | 95 |
| Grade 3 | 84 |
| Grade 4 | 102 |
| Grade 5 | 94 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
300 E Lavon Trail Pkwy, Lavon, TX 75166
Phone: (972)843-6250
Website: dodson.communityisd.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Mary Lou Dodson Elementary School. Blue: the nearest elementary schools.
Nearby elementary schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nesmith Elementary School | Community ISD | 0.7 mi | 511 | 15.4 | 49.9% |
| Celia Hays Elementary School | Rockwall ISD | 3.3 mi | 613 | 15.4 | 10.4% |
| Sherry and Paul Hamm Elementary School | Rockwall ISD | 3.7 mi | 721 | 16.8 | 8.5% |
| Nebbie Williams Elementary School | Rockwall ISD | 3.8 mi | 442 | 13.9 | 12.2% |
| Miss May Vernon Elementary School | Royse City ISD | 4.6 mi | 790 | 16.5 | 34.8% |
| Billie Stevenson Elementary School | Rockwall ISD | 4.9 mi | 805 | 17.6 | 18.1% |
| McClendon Elementary School | Community ISD | 5.0 mi | 548 | 18.4 | 60.8% |
| Grace Hartman Elementary School | Rockwall ISD | 5.3 mi | 477 | 14.1 | 16.1% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.
Other schools in Community ISD
| School | Level | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community High School | High | 9–12 | 1,328 |
| Community Trails Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 548 |
| John & Barbara Roderick Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 663 |
| Leland E Edge Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 662 |
| McClendon Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 548 |
| Mildred B Ellis Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 385 |
| Nesmith Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 511 |