Following trustees’ general expressions of support for the proposed student and family resource centers funded in the district’s 2020 Bond election, Chief of Staff Pam Lear and Racial Equity Deputy Chief Sharon Quinn are spearheading a planning team to move the project forward. The concept calls for the creation of community hubs to house crucial social services in neighborhoods served by Lincoln, L.G. Pinkston, H. Grady Spruce and Franklin Roosevelt high schools. The $40M in bond funds allocated for the project is limited to facility construction to create space for services to these historically underserved communities. Lear recently announced that…

On January 20, Dallas ISD completed a competitive sale of the final $299.2 million in bonds from the 2015 voter-approved bond program. Initial projections suggested this final 2015 sale would be at a 3.75% interest rate amortized over 30 years. However, due to the district’s great credit rating and the strength of the market, the district received the lower rate of 1.64% amortized over only 24 years.  The successful sale resulted in the interest cost being $93.5 million less than projected. “This is a big win for Dallas ISD,” said the district’s Chief Business Officer Dwayne Thompson. “The savings from…

The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees Thursday night adopted three calendars for the next two school years, with the majority of schools set to have a traditional calendar. The calendars represent a bold investment, of up to $100 million, to support the Dallas ISD students who need it the most. Schools that get buy-in from families, teachers and campus staff now have the option to rethink the school year. Research shows the pandemic could seriously impact students academically, and an extended school year calendar helps make sure students get the extra support needed to stay on a path to success. …

School absences have risen dramatically as parents and students cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, and Dallas ISD is launching an all-out effort to help students get back in school and engaged. Beginning Monday, February 1, and continuing through February 27, district teams will be reaching out to students and parents by phone, text and email as a part of “Operation Comeback Student Re-Engagement,” an effort to help students get back on track to continue their education. Starting Wednesday, February 3, families not reached remotely will receive contact-free home visits by staff members seeking to find out how the district can…