On March 27, the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees approved a plan that will invest approximately $129.5 million into addressing critical needs at district schools.
A portion of the Bridge Plan, as it is called, will add more pre-K classrooms throughout the district. Alan Cohen, executive director of Dallas ISD’s Early Childhood and Community Partnership Program, said expanding pre-K options is critical since research shows that 85 percent of a child’s brain development occurs in their first five years.
“If we don’t reach children in that window of opportunity when they’re learning at a rate that they’re never going to be able to learn at again, all educational intervention we provide for kids from that point on is more difficult, more expensive and less effective,” Cohen said.
Below is a map showing the locations of the pre-K expansions included in the Bridge Plan:
Cohen said the pre-K expansions included in the Bridge Plan are a great start but will not meet all the pre-K needs in the district. During the Pre-K Registration Week underway through April 11, there have been lines out the door of multiple schools with parents looking to register their child. Cohen said the high turnout during Pre-K Registration Week shows that parents understand the importance of enrolling their child in pre-K.
A line of parents looking to register their children in pre-K went out the door at Leonides Cigarroa Elementary.
The Future Facilities Task Force, which is made up of community and staff members, continues to work on a long-range plan that will, in part, provide additional pre-K space in the areas where it is most needed.
Meanwhile, parents can still register their children that meet eligibility requirements in pre-K through Saturday. For more information on how and where to register, click here.
