Balch Springs, Texas

City in Texas, United States

Balch Springs

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Coordinates: 32°43′12″N 96°37′25″W﻿ / ﻿32.72000°N 96.62361°W﻿ / 32.72000; -96.62361
Country| United States
State| Texas
County| Dallas
Incorporated| June 13, 1953
Government

• Type| Council-manager
Area

[1]

• Total

| 9.04 sq mi (23.42 km2)
• Land| 9.02 sq mi (23.37 km2)
• Water| 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)  0.27%
Elevation

[2]

| 479 ft (146 m)
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 27,685
• Density| 3,100/sq mi (1,200/km2)
Time zone| UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)| UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code|

75180

Area codes| 214, 469, 945, 972
FIPS code| 48-05372[3]
GNIS feature ID| 2409775[2]
Website| cityofbalchsprings.com

Balch Springs (/bɑːlk/ BAHLK, /bɑːltʃ/ 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,[4] and 25,007 at 2019's census estimates.[5]

## History

[edit]

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 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.[6]

The community began to grow rapidly along with the city of Dallas and other Dallas County towns. To avoid annexation by Dallas, Balch Springs incorporated as a city on June 13, 1953.[6] The new city encompassed the communities of Balch Springs, Zipp City, Five Points, Jonesville, and Triangle, as well as portions of Rylie and Kleberg.[7] A mayor-council form of government was adopted after incorporation. By 1956, Balch Springs had a population around 3,500. The city 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 the election was declared invalid.[6] 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.[8]

## Geography

[edit]

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 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.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.0 square miles (23.3 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2), or 0.27%, is covered by water.[9]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1960| 6,821| | —
1970| 10,464| | 53.4%
1980| 13,746| | 31.4%
1990| 17,406| | 26.6%
2000| 19,375| | 11.3%
2010| 23,728| | 22.5%
2020| 27,685| | 16.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
Balch Springs racial composition as of 2020[11]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a] Race  | Number  | Percentage

|
|

White (NH)  | 4,175  | 15.08%
Black or African American (NH)  | 6,181  | 22.33%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)  | 60  | 0.22%
Asian (NH)  | 277  | 1.0%
Pacific Islander (NH)  | 7  | 0.03%
Some other race (NH)  | 49  | 0.18%
Mixed/multiracial (NH)  | 452  | 1.63%
Hispanic or Latino | 16,484  | 59.54%
Total | 27,685 |

As of the 2020 United States census, 27,685 people, 6,916 households, and 5,522 families resided in the city.

## Government

[edit]

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.[14]

A city manager is appointed to serve at the pleasure of the city council. The current city manager is Charles R. Fenner,[15] serving since 2023.

Current Balch Springs City Council[14] Position  | Occupant  | Term Expires

|
|

Mayor  | Carrie Gordon  | 2025
Place 2 (At-Large)  | Tartisha Hill  | 2026
Place 3  | Paula Garcia  | 2025
Place 4  | Vincent Gabriel  | 2026
Place 5  | Cheri Whitley  | 2025
Place 6  | Elishima Myles  | 2026
Place 7  | Yemi Salau  | 2025

## Politics

[edit]

Balch Springs city vote by party in Presidential elections[16] Year  | Democratic | Republican | Third Parties

|
|
|

2020 | 70.1% 4,256 | 28.6% 1,734 | 1.3% 78
2016 | 67.0% 3,344 | 29.9% 1,490 | 3.1% 155

## Education

[edit]

### Public schools

[edit]

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.[17][18]

#### Mesquite Independent School District

[edit]

Mesquite ISD students living in Balch Springs are zoned to one of the following elementary schools, according to the following feeder patterns approved by the district in 2017.[19]

Elementary School (Through 5th Grade) | Middle School (Grades 6–8) | High School (Grades 9–12)

|
|

Floyd Elementary School (Balch Springs) | A.C. New Middle School (Balch Springs) | West Mesquite High School (Mesquite)
Gray Elementary School (Balch Springs)
Hodges Elementary School (Balch Springs)
McWhorter Elementary School (Mesquite) | Frasier Middle School (Mesquite)
Mackey Elementary School (Balch Springs) | Terry Middle School (Mesquite) | John Horn High School (Mesquite)
Gentry Elementary School (Mesquite) | Berry Middle School (Mesquite)
Moss Elementary School (Mesquite) | Agnew Middle School (Mesquite) | Mesquite High School (Mesquite)

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.[18]

#### Dallas Independent School District

[edit]

W. W. Samuell High School serves a portion of the DISD section of Balch Springs.

Dallas ISD students are zoned to:

* Gilbert Cuellar Sr. Elementary School (PK–5)[20]
* Richard Lagow Elementary School (PK–5)[21]
* John W. Runyon Elementary School (PreK–5)[22]
* Kleberg Elementary School (PreK–5)[23]

Young Women's STEAM Academy at Balch Springs Middle School is in the city limits.[24][25] The school, which opened in 2012,[26] previously was a coeducational middle school serving most of the DISD portion, while other portions were zoned to Fred F. Florence Middle School.[27] 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 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.[28][29] In addition Seagoville Middle School serves both genders in a portion of Balch Springs.[30]

Prior to the opening of Balch Springs MS, Comstock and Florence served portions of the city.[31][32]

H. Grady Spruce High School,[33] W. W. Samuell High School,[34] and Seagoville High School serve portions of the DISD area of Balch Springs.[35]

### Private schools

[edit]

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.[36] Ten members of the school and church died in a flood in central Texas in 1987.[37]

### Colleges and universities

[edit]

Dallas County residents are zoned to Dallas College (formerly Dallas County Community College or DCCCD).[38]

## Public safety

[edit]

Balch Springs Fire Department serves 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.[citation needed]

The city maintains a police department.[39]

## Library

[edit]

The Balch Springs Library-Learning Center is located at 12450 Elam Road in Balch Springs.[40] 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.[41]

## Healthcare

[edit]

Dallas ISD and Parkland Balch Springs Youth and Family Health Center is on a site next to the Balch Springs Middle School building,[42] on the school property.[43][44] It serves disadvantaged children who do not have primary care physicians.[42] Previously, 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.[43]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[12][13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Balch Springs, Texas
3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Balch Springs city, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
5. ^ "ACS 2018 Housing and Demographic Estimates". data.census.gov. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
6. ^ a b c d "Balch Springs, Texas". The Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
7. ^ "Balch Springs: The Early Days" (PDF). Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
8. ^ Hoyt, Joseph (November 7, 2019). "Jordan Edwards was murdered 31 months ago. The Mesquite football team can finally honor their fallen brother on their own terms". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
9. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Balch Springs city, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
11. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
12. ^ "Census.gov". Census.gov.
13. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
14. ^ a b "Mayor & City Council | Balch Springs, TX". www.cityofbalchsprings.com. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
15. ^ "City Manager | Balch Springs, TX". www.cityofbalchsprings.com. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
16. ^ "Dallas County, TX Elections | Elections Information". www.dallascountyvotes.org. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
17. ^ "Updated Street Map Archived 2016-06-02 at the Wayback Machine." City of Balch Springs. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
18. ^ a b "Attendance Zones - Mesquite ISD 2022". www.mesquiteisd.org. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
19. ^ Sivilay, Anny. "Feeder pattern approved". Star Local. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
20. ^ "2015-16 Gilbert Cuellar Sr. Elementary Attendance Zone Grades PK-5." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
21. ^ "2015-16 Richard Lagow Elementary Attendance Zone Grades PK-5." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
22. ^ "John W. Runyon Elementary Attendance Zone Grades PK-5." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
23. ^ "Kleberg Elementary Attendance Zone Grades PK-5." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 8, 2016.
24. ^ "Home". Young Women's STEAM Academy at Balch Springs Middle School. Retrieved October 21, 2019. "710 Cheyenne Road, Dallas, TX 75217"
25. ^ "Zoning Map" (PDF). City of Balch Springs. Retrieved October 21, 2019. \- linked from the GIS map index
26. ^ "New Schools-2008 Bond Program Archived 2010-05-09 at the Wayback Machine." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
27. ^ "2015-16 Balch Springs Middle Attendance Zone Grades 6-8." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
28. ^ "BalchSpringsFlorenceMS.pdf." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
29. ^ Porter, Lawana. "Piedmont G.L.O.B.A.L. Academy celebrates a new name and academic focus (video)." Dallas Independent School District. October 12, 2016. Retrieved on October 16, 2016.
30. ^ "2015-16 Seagoville Middle Attendance Zone Grades 6-8." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 8, 2016.
31. ^ "Fall 2011 Fred F. Florence Middle Attendance Zone Grades 6-8." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
32. ^ "Fall 2011 E.B. Comstock Middle Attendance Zone Grades 6-8." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
33. ^ "2015-166 H. Grady Spruce High School Attendance Zone Grades 9-12." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
34. ^ "2015-16 W. W. Samuell High School Attendance Zone Grades 9-12." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
35. ^ "2015-16 Seagoville High School Attendance Zone Grades 9-12." Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved on June 3, 2016.
36. ^ Seagoville Road Baptist Church
37. ^ BEARAK, BARRY (July 18, 1987). "10 Are Feared Dead at Texas River : 2 Youths Killed, 8 Reported Missing as Bus, Van Are Swept Into Water". Retrieved July 22, 2017 - via LA Times.
38. ^ "Education code. Chapter 130. Junior College Districts". statutes.capitol.texas.gov.
39. ^ "Balch Springs Police Department". Balch Springs Police Department. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
40. ^ "Public Library Archived 2010-09-19 at the Wayback Machine." City of Balch Springs. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
41. ^ "Who We Are." Balch Springs Public Library. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
42. ^ a b Jacobson, Sherry (May 2, 2013). "Balch Springs to get new Parkland youth and family health center". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
43. ^ a b Cummings, Tommy (May 28, 2013). "Health center will move to Balch Springs Middle School campus". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
44. ^ The school and the center have the same address: "Balch Springs Youth & Family Center". Dallas Independent School District. Retrieved October 21, 2019. "Balch Springs Youth & Family Center is located at Young Women's STEAM Academy @ Balch Springs[...]710 Cheyenne Road Dallas, TX 75217" // Instances of "701 Cheyenne" seem to be errors.

## External links

[edit]

* City of Balch Springs official website

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