Pleasant Grove is an area located in the southeastern section of Dallas, Texas , United States.
45-689: Balch Springs ( / b ɑː l k / BAHLK , / b ɑː l tʃ / BAHLTCH ) is a city in Dallas County, Texas , United States. It is an inner-ring suburb of Dallas and part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . Its population was 23,728 at the 2010 census, and 25,007 at 2019's census estimates. The area was first settled in the 1840s. Around 1879, John M. Balch and his family settled south of Mesquite in unincorporated Dallas County. Mr. Balch found several springs on his land, one of which ran year-round. Local residents began referring to
90-569: A coeducational middle school would go to E. B. Comstock Middle School, while those from the former Florence zone would go to Piedmont G.L.O.B.A.L. Academy (formerly John B. Hood Middle School) in Pleasant Grove . In addition Seagoville Middle School serves both genders in a portion of Balch Springs. Prior to the opening of Balch Springs MS, Comstock and Florence served portions of the city. H. Grady Spruce High School , W. W. Samuell High School , and Seagoville High School serve portions of
135-685: A police department. The Balch Springs Library-Learning Center is located at 12450 Elam Road in Balch Springs. The library, which has over 26,000 items, including over 25,000 books and over 1,000 audio and visual items, opened in April 2006. Dallas ISD and Parkland Balch Springs Youth and Family Health Center is on a site next to the Balch Springs Middle School building, on the school property. It serves disadvantaged children who do not have primary care physicians. Previously,
180-400: A total of 2,637,772 residents, 1,027,930 housing units, and 917,276 households. By 2020, its population was 2,613,539. In 2010, the racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 53.4% White (33.12% non-Hispanic white ), 22.30% Black or African American , 0.10% Native American , 5.15% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 14.04% from other races , and 2.70% from two or more races. 38.30% of
225-476: A window located on the sixth floor which today houses the Sixth Floor Museum dedicated to the late president's memory. Acts of the commissioners court are known as 'court orders'. These orders include setting county policies and procedures, issuing contracts, authorizing expenditures, and managing county resources and departments. Most importantly, the commissioners court sets the annual tax rate and
270-534: Is bordered by Mesquite to the north and east, and Dallas to the south and west. Major highways running through Balch Springs include Interstate 635 , which bisects the city into two nearly equal halves. Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 175 run along Balch Springs' southern border. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 9.0 square miles (23.3 km), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km), or 0.27%,
315-582: Is bounded by Bruton Road to the North, Marvel Dr. on the south, Prairie Creek (the creek, not the road) on the east and the Trinity Forest on the west. The first settlers in the Pleasant Grove area in the 1840s included W. B. Elam, who held one of the original land grant, Richard Bruton, and Cornelius Cox. By 1875 a wooden building was used as a union church and school. An early teacher at one of
360-409: Is covered by water. As of the 2020 United States census , 27,685 people, 6,916 households, and 5,522 families resided in the city. Balch Springs has a mayor-council form of government, with a mayor and six council members. Five of the six are elected in single-member districts, while the mayor and remaining council member are elected at-large. A city manager is appointed to serve at the pleasure of
405-424: Is elected county-wide, and four commissioners who are elected by the voters in each of four precincts. The Commissioners' Court is the policy-making body for the county; in addition, the county judge is the senior executive and administrative position in the county. The Commissioners' Court sets the county tax rate, adopts the budget, appoints boards and commissions, approves grants and personnel actions, and oversees
450-465: Is in the city limits. The school, which opened in 2012, previously was a coeducational middle school serving most of the DISD portion, while other portions were zoned to Fred F. Florence Middle School. In the fall of 2016 Balch Springs was converted into a girls-only middle school; boys in its zone were zoned to Florence, now an all-boys school. Students from the former Balch Springs MS zone who wish to attend
495-599: Is included in the Dallas - Arlington - Fort Worth metropolitan statistical area —colloquially referred to as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . Municipal expansion within Dallas County has blurred the geographic lines between cities and between neighboring counties. Its county seat is the city of Dallas , which is also Texas' third-largest city and the ninth-largest city in the United States. The county
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#1732790523311540-582: Is tricky" but that the perception of poverty, which many white families wish to avoid, is tied with race. Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District formerly served a part of the county. In 2006 WHISD officially merged into DISD. Dallas County is served by the Dallas College system of seven community colleges . Dallas College is the designated community college for the entire county. There are two public universities in Dallas County:
585-700: The Dawson Unit , a co-gender state jail in Downtown Dallas , under contract. Federal Correctional Institution, Seagoville , is located in Seagoville . Dallas County was one of the first areas of the South to break away from a Solid South voting pattern. This coincided with the county's explosive postwar growth. It swung from a 13-point win for Democrat Harry Truman in 1948 to a 23-point win for Republican Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. For most of
630-820: The Parkland Memorial Hospital and various health centers. The Commissioners' Court meets the first and third Tuesday at the Commissioners' Courtroom located in the Dallas County Administration Building at 411 Elm St., corner of Elm and Houston streets. The building was the headquarters of the Texas School Book Depository Company until 1970. In 1963 assassin Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy from
675-864: The University of North Texas at Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas , of which the latter is also partially located in Collin County . Dallas Area Rapid Transit provides bus and rail service to many cities in Dallas County, with Dallas being the largest. The Trinity Railway Express , operated jointly by Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Trinity Metro , provides commuter rail service to both Dallas County and Tarrant County , connecting downtown Fort Worth with Downtown Dallas . NOTE: US 67 and US 77 are not signed fully along their routes in Dallas County. 32°46′N 96°47′W / 32.77°N 96.78°W / 32.77; -96.78 Pleasant Grove, Dallas The Pleasant Grove area
720-408: The 1990s, Dallas County has voted more Democratic than the state of Texas as a whole. It swung from an 18-point win for George H. W. Bush in 1988 to only a two-point win in 1992 . In 1996 , Bill Clinton became only the fourth Democrat since Truman to win 40 percent of the vote. Former Governor of Texas George W. Bush managed relatively narrow wins in 2000 and 2004 , even as he easily carried
765-511: The DISD area of Balch Springs. Balch Springs Christian Academy is a private school within the city limits that serves students from kindergarten to 12th grade, and uses the A Beka curriculum. It is a subsidiary of Seagoville Road Baptist Church, which was established in 1974. Ten members of the school and church died in a flood in central Texas in 1987. Dallas County residents are zoned to Dallas College (formerly Dallas County Community College or DCCCD). Balch Springs Fire Department serves
810-464: The Democratic margin of victory even further. She became the first Democrat to win 60% of the county's vote since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 , while Donald Trump became the first Republican not to win 40% of the vote in the county since 1992. Joe Biden managed an even larger win in 2020. In 2024 though Trump did not carry the county, he received his best-ever vote share, with 38%. This
855-427: The administration of county government. Each commissioner supervises a Road and Bridge District. The Commissioners' Court approves the budget and sets the tax rate for the hospital district, which is charged with the responsibility for providing acute medical care for citizens who otherwise would not receive adequate medical services. The Parkland Health & Hospital System (Dallas County Hospital District) operates
900-449: The age of 18 living with them, 46.90% were married couples living together, 14.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.90% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.34. As of the 2010 census, there were about 8.8 same-sex couples per 1,000 households in
945-649: The budget for Dallas County government and the courts. The commissioners also set the tax rate and budget for the Dallas County Hospital District which operates Parkland Hospital . The commissioners court has direct control over all county offices and departments not otherwise administered by a county elected official. Those departments include Dallas County Elections, Health and Human Services, Facilities Management, Parks and Open Space Program, I.T. Services, Homeland Security and Emergency Services, among others. Through their budget making powers,
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#1732790523311990-539: The center was known as the Spruce Youth and Family Health Center and was housed on the grounds of H. Grady Spruce High School in Dallas. On June 3, 2013, it moved to its current location. Dallas County, Texas Dallas County is the second-most populous county in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 U.S. census count of 2,613,539, making it the ninth-most populous county in the country. Dallas County
1035-435: The city council. The current city manager is Charles R. Fenner, serving since 2023. The southwestern portion of Balch Springs is served by Dallas Independent School District , while the northeastern portion is served by Mesquite Independent School District . The two portions are roughly each one half of the city. Mesquite ISD students living in Balch Springs are zoned to one of the following elementary schools, according to
1080-421: The city of Dallas and other Dallas County towns. To avoid annexation by Dallas, Balch Springs incorporated as a city on June 13, 1953. The new city encompassed the communities of Balch Springs, Zipp City, Five Points, Jonesville, and Triangle, as well as portions of Rylie and Kleberg . A mayor-council form of government was adopted after incorporation. By 1956, Balch Springs had a population around 3,500. The city
1125-480: The city with one fire station, which runs one ladder truck, two engines, one fire chief, and three battalion chiefs. The department has a minimum manning of eight firefighters on shift 24/7. All firefighters are certified as EMTs or paramedics. Balch Springs has 30 professional firefighters, one chief, and an inspector. The Balch Springs Fire Department is a civil-service department. The department responds and manages all fire and emergent health calls. The city maintains
1170-622: The commissioners exercise indirect control over the District Attorney's office, Sheriff, District Clerk, County Clerk and County Treasurer. The commissioners also set the budget for each of the District, County, and Justice courts. Dallas County employs a commissioners court administrator who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the commissioners court and implementing the Dallas County Master Plan and
1215-407: The county's Open Space Program. Per the 2010 census , there were 2,368,139 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile (974 people/km ). There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971 units per square mile (375 units/km ). In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Dallas County to have
1260-400: The county. In the wider county, 27.90% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.70% was from 18 to 24, 34.40% from 25 to 44, 18.90% from 45 to 64, and 8.10% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 43,324, and
1305-601: The decrease of non-Hispanic white students in Dallas County K-12 school districts from 1997 until the 2014–2015 school year. The number was 138,760 in the former and 61,538 in the latter; during 2014–2015 county charter schools had about 5,000 non-Hispanic white students. In 2016 Eric Nicholson of the Dallas Observer wrote that the bulk of white K-12 enrollment is shifting to more distant suburban areas beyond Dallas County, and that "Teasing out causation
1350-469: The directives of the commissioners court. The current commissioners court administrator is Darryl Martin who was hired by the commissioners in 2008. Dallas County operates several jail facilities. They include: The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Hutchins State Jail for men in an unincorporated area adjacent to Hutchins . Corrections Corporation of America operates
1395-502: The election was declared invalid. Two years later, the 1990 census reported a total of 17,406 people living in the city. The 2000 population was 19,375. The murder of Jordan Edwards occurred in Balch Springs in 2017. Balch Springs is situated approximately 16 miles (26 km) east of downtown Dallas and 34 miles (55 km) southeast of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport . The city
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1440-511: The following feeder patterns approved by the district in 2017. Most Mesquite ISD students living in Balch Springs are zoned to A.C. New Middle School and West Mesquite High School. Some MISD students (in the portion zoned to Gentry) are zoned to Berry Middle School and John Horn High School. A small portion of Balch Springs (the portion zoned to Moss) is zoned to Agnew Middle School and Mesquite High School. Dallas ISD students are zoned to: Young Women's STEAM Academy at Balch Springs Middle School
1485-479: The late 1940s had fourteen buildings. Due to a post-World War II housing boom, the population grew from 120 to 3,500 between 1943 and 1952. By the late 1940s, Pleasant Grove had seven businesses, including a new bank. Businesses remained less important than the residential areas, but in 1952, Pleasant Grove Shopping Center, a major retail center, was built. Pleasant Grove twice fought incorporation movements and remained unincorporated till June 1954 when Pleasant Grove
1530-537: The median income for a family was $ 49,062. Males had a median income of $ 34,988 versus $ 29,539 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 22,603. About 10.60% of families and 13.40% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.00% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey , the median household income increased to $ 61,870. American Community Survey 2023 Data The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2023, Dallas County’s population
1575-427: The office of Dallas County Sheriff. The last Democratic countywide administrator was D. Connally elected County Surveyor prior to the office's abolition. Democrats also won three district court benches in 2004. Two years later in 2006, Democrats swept every contested countywide race including County Judge, District Clerk, County Clerk, District Attorney and County Treasurer as well as every contested judicial seat. Since
1620-780: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. During the 2015 Texas population estimate program, non-Hispanic whites made up 713,835 of the county's residents (28.1%); non-Hispanic blacks , 565,020 (22.2%); other non-Hispanics, 197,082 (7.7%); and Hispanics and Latinos (of any race), 1,065,591 (41.9%). At the 2020 U.S. census , the racial and ethnic makeup was 27.74% non-Hispanic white, 21.61% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 6.94% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.38% some other race, 2.55% multiracial, and 40.48% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. The increase among people of color reflected nationwide demographic trends of greater diversification. In 2010, there were 807,621 households, out of which 35.10% had children under
1665-410: The schools built in the 1880s was Don Lebow, who named the school Pleasant Grove after its location in a grove of cottonwood trees. The name was then applied to both the school and the community. In 1900 Sam Street's map of Dallas County showed Pleasant Grove as a small community with a store. In 1916 the first brick schoolhouse was built. In 1937 Pleasant Grove formed its own school district, which by
1710-470: The second half of the 20th century, it would be one of the most conservative urban counties in the nation, voting for the GOP at every election until 2004. The lone exception was when Texas native Lyndon B. Johnson successfully ran for a full term as president on the Democratic ticket in 1964. In the 2004 election, Democrats won their first countywide administrative office since 1986 by electing Lupe Valdez to
1755-524: The springs on Mr. Balch's property as Balch Springs, and use of the name continued even after he moved away a few years after his arrival. Around 1885, a county school was named after the springs. A small church and a cemetery were near the school. During the early 1900s, the community was widely dispersed and consisted mostly of farms. Electricity, provided by Texas Power and Light, was introduced in 1939. Gas and telephone service arrived shortly after World War II . The community began to grow rapidly along with
1800-461: The state. This trend culminated in 2008 when the county swung dramatically to Barack Obama . Obama's coattails allowed Democrats to win the remaining Republican held judicial seats. Since the 2010s, Dallas County has been one of the most Democratic-leaning counties in Texas. In 2012 , Obama won Dallas County by virtually the same margin as he had done in 2008. In 2016 , Hillary Clinton increased
1845-404: Was 2,606,358. It was also estimated that the county was 41.4% Hispanic or Latino, 26.6% Non-Hispanic White, 23.0% Non-Hispanic Black, 7.2% Non-Hispanic Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 1.6% Non-Hispanic Multiracial. Dallas County, like all counties in Texas, is governed by a commissioners' court . This court consists of the county judge (the chairperson of the court), who
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1890-972: Was annexed by Dallas and the Pleasant Grove school district merged with the Dallas Independent School District. In 1962 the Greater Pleasant Grove Chamber of Commerce was formed to promote business in the area. This organization was later expanded to cover surrounding communities, and became the Southeast Dallas Chamber of Commerce. It is within the Dallas Independent School District (DISD). DISD Middle schools that serve Pleasant Grove students: DISD High schools that serve or served Pleasant Grove students: The charter school operator Life's Beautiful Educational Centers Inc. (closed 1999) operated
1935-478: Was founded in 1846 and was possibly named for George Mifflin Dallas , the 11th Vice President of the United States under U.S. President James K. Polk . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 909 square miles (2,350 km ), of which 873 square miles (2,260 km ) is land and 36 square miles (93 km ) (4.0%) is water. 3,519 acres of the county is contained within 21 county-owned nature preserves, which were acquired through
1980-409: Was home to 6,821 residents at the 1960 census. In September 1964, a post office opened in the city and in 1965, the first taxes were levied. A 1966 attempt to disincorporate the community was unsuccessful. By 1970, the population had risen to 10,464 as the construction of new roads made commuting to surrounding cities easier. In 1988, residents voted to become part of the neighboring city of Mesquite, but
2025-553: Was likely due to his increase in Hispanic support, which was 54% in the state of Texas compared to Kamala Harris’s 44%. Dallas County has had three openly LGBT elected county officials: Lupe Valdez , elected Sheriff in 2004 and serving until 2017; Jim Foster, elected county judge in 2006, serving one term before defeat in the Democratic primary in 2010; and Gary Fitzsimmons, elected District Clerk in 2006. The following school districts serve Dallas County: White flight meant
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