District proposes plan to consolidate 400 employees in leased office space

The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees discussed a plan on Thursday that could consolidate approximately 400 district employees currently spread across eight locations, some of which are in dilapidated conditions, into one building.

The board is expected to vote on the proposal on May 28. Dallas ISD Chief Financial Officer Jim Terry said that consolidating employees from the Human Capital Management and Information and Technology Services departments into one building at 9400 N. Central Expressway would bring multiple benefits to the district.

“Having these employees in one place will boost their communication and production as they work to help our students, staff and schools across the district,” he said.

To allow the two departments to move to the building, the board would need to approve a two-year lease agreement at a cost of $1.85 million per year. The district will then have two two-year lease extension options, meaning the lease could potentially extend for six years. The district considered multiple locations before making the recommendation to the board, Terry said.

Dallas ISD plans to sell three district properties to offset the cost of the lease. Terry said leasing the office space is a cost-effective solution to meet pressing needs. While it studies options to address campus needs throughout the district, the Future Facilities Task Force is also tasked with considering a long-term solution to the district’s central administration facility needs. Terry said the ultimate goal would be for all Dallas ISD central staff departments to be in the same location, rather than scattered in more than a dozen facilities as they are currently.