For the first time in the Dallas Independent School District history, pre-K enrollment has topped projections to serve more than 11,000 students. As of today, there are 11,175 prekindergarten students enrolled in Dallas ISD, and some continued pre-K growth is expected over the course of the 2016-2017 year.
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa set a goal to increase pre-K enrollment by 7 percent over last year; enrollment numbers as of today represent a 7.3-percent increase of 762 students.
“This reinforces that if we provide quality pre-K options for families, they will take advantage of them for the benefit of their children,” said Derek Little, assistant superintendent of Early Learning.
The district’s Early Learning department led targeted recruitment campaigns that directly interfaced with community members. Marketing efforts included: robocalls, a billboard campaign, door-to-door visits, yard signage in neighborhoods, broadcast PSAs, and printed collateral.
The biggest gains were made among the pre-K 3-year-old program, which saw a growth of 534 more students than last school year, when 302 total students were enrolled.
This school year also marks the first time the district has offered full-day, tuition-based pre-K.
“We will continue to market and communicate that Dallas ISD is a great choice for pre-K,” said Little. “Our goal is to continue spreading the word with community partners that Dallas ISD, in conjunction with its partners, provides a suite of early learning opportunities, including full day for four-year-olds, half day for three-year-olds, and tuition pre-K at a competitive rate.”
