Mercedes Independent School District

About the Mercedes Independent School District The MISD is located in Mercedes, Texas, a rural town with a population of 15,000. Ninety percent of the 5,090 children in the school district live at or below the poverty level and a large percentage of those children live in sub-standard housing (colonias) that lack the infrastructure for basic utilities. The Texas Rio Grande Valley is the fourth largest growing metropolitan area in the United States and the second fastest growing area in Texas. Designated in 1996 as a Federal Empowerment Zone, the Texas Rio Grande Valley experiences some of the highest juvenile delinquency, unemployment, illiteracy and poverty rates in the nation. Michael and Susan Dell Foundation Based in Austin, Texas, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation was established in December 1999 by the Dell family to help address the growing needs of children. Within its first three years, the Foundation has provided significant funding to initiatives that impact children's well being, the foundation's primary area of focus.