Parents and community members are invited to talk with district trustees and the architects and project managers charged with making the school improvements funded by the district’s $1.6 billion bond program approved last November. Plans call for construction of several new schools. A number of existing schools will receive classroom additions and upgrades to their lobbies and facades; others will get less visible improvements such as heating and air conditioning or plumbing upgrades. The meetings will give parents and community members information about projects scheduled in their school communities and the opportunity to make suggestions and ask questions about the…

Eduardto Huerta proudly watched as his daughter, Ximena, started her first day of pre-K at Jose “Joe” May Elementary School. For Huerta, the anxiety of having a child start their first day of school was tempered by the fact that he would still be nearby: after all, he is a second-grade teacher at the same campus. “I’m going to try my hardest not to check in on her every hour,” he said with a laugh. Jose “Joe” May Elementary is one of four new Dallas ISD schools that opened this year, and the final school funded by the 2008 bond…

On behalf of the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees, welcome back to another school year. Last school year, we had many great accomplishments in the district. Along with my fellow trustees, I am proud of our students and staff. After a long hot summer, school is beginning again. The daily temperature has been around 100, the same number we want our students to score academically. They can do it! Now that school is beginning, what will it take for Dallas ISD students to do even better than the last school year? What will your organization do to help the neighborhood…

UPDATED Aug. 19: The TRE did not get the super-majority vote from the board of trustees needed to move forward for the November election. Original Story: Dallas ISD trustees tonight will consider calling for a Tax Ratification Election on Nov. 8 that would provide additional funds for three programs: early childhood education, early college high school programs, and strategic teacher compensation. Watch the meeting live here.