In late March, the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees approved a plan to invest approximately $148 million into addressing critical needs at district schools. In August, four new schools funded by the Bridge Plan, as it is called, will open or reopen to students. Ed Levine, Dallas ISD executive director of Construction Services, said the district has been diligently working to adhere to the aggressive construction schedule that will open or reopen the four schools less than five months after trustees passed the Bridge Plan. “It is taking a lot of work, but the schools will be ready for students…

TV commercials are starting to feature back to school clothing ads, a sure sign that the 2015 school year is just around the corner. With just over a month until students start school on Aug. 24, the annual rush to get kids ready for the new school year has officially begun. In anticipation, the organizers of the Dallas Mayor’s Back to School Fair are gearing up for the city’s largest one-day school supply distribution effort on Aug. 7, from 8 a.m.—2 p.m., at Dallas Fair Park. The annual event is a welcome bonanza for thousands of cash-strapped parents looking for all…

In the calm before the storm that is back-to-school, parents are encouraged to resolve student immunizations as early as possible to avoid the inevitable back-to-school rush in clinics, doctor’s offices and medical facilities throughout the city. Students enrolling in Dallas ISD for the first time must provide evidence of required immunizations. Official records from a physician or health clinic, which provide documentation of current immunizations, are required. All immunizations should be completed by the first date of attendance. The law requires that students be fully vaccinated against specified diseases. A 30-day provisional enrollment is available to students transferring from one Texas school…

Approximately 243,230 meals were served to children 18 and younger during the month of June as part of the Summer Food Service Program. Select Dallas ISD schools participate in the free meal program along with churches, recreation centers, and other activity sites throughout the city. The Summer Food Service Program was created to ensure that children in low-income areas could continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations when they do not have the benefit of school breakfasts and lunches. “Hunger does not take a break over the summer, and neither do we,” said Lesia Gray, who coordinates Dallas…