A successful school year begins long before the first bell rings. With the right preparation, going back to school can be smooth and stress-free. “Parents’ role in preparing their child to come back to school is crucial and critical to their success,” Sherri Vault, Counseling Services coordinator, said. “Most of them have been free and easy all summer, so preparing to get back into routines that physically enable students to get back into a school setting impacts their mental ability to start school.” To ensure students and parents/guardians start the year strong, Dallas ISD provides a network of support services…

Dallas ISD’s emergent bilingual students achieved major academic success in the 2025-2026 school year by outperforming their state peers at all three performance levels, across every subject. Shared during a recent board meeting, this year’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness grades 3-8 and End-of-Course assessments show leading scores in reading, math, and social studies. The success is due to Dallas ISD’s long-standing commitment to dual language education. For more than 20 years, the district has offered a free dual language program at every campus. The program helps maintain high academic standards in a student’s native language while developing…

While many students are still enjoying the final days of summer break, the halls and practice fields at Thomas Jefferson High School are filled with music as band students prepare for the months ahead. This marks the unofficial start of the new school year, refining skills, building endurance, and strengthening the teamwork that will carry them through football games, performances and competitions this fall. For senior Andrea S., the work began before the full band arrived. “The first week was for leaders,” she said. “We went over the fundamentals so we could teach the members. Things like posture and staying…

The first day of school is just around the corner, and Dallas ISD is welcoming students back with several new updates for the 2026-2027 school year.  New universal badge system Dallas ISD’s universal student badge system goes into effect for all students starting in the 2026–2027 school year. Printed directly on each campus, students will receive lanyards and ID badge cards. While Dallas ISD has always required student badges on campus, this new universal badge simply combines multiple student services into one easy-to-use ID for transportation, meals, library checkouts, and athletic events, helping streamline operations and enhance campus security.  Districtwide…