More than 30,000 students were safely transported to Dallas ISD schools the first day of school, roughly the size of the entire population of the city of Waxahachie. The students were transported by bus or multi-passenger vehicle on one of 664 routes crossing the city. “Transporting more than 30,000 students on the first day of school is a real challenge,” said Dallas ISD Chief of Operations Wanda Paul. “While there will always be some transportation issues on the first day, we made much improvement over last year. There was a lot more planning and communication this year. Parents were provided…

Beginning this fall, the newly-christened Eduardo Mata Montessori Elementary School will welcome its inaugural class of more than 300 students to the district’s newest choice school program. The school will attract east Dallas families seeking an alternative to the popular Lakewood Elementary School. “The Montessori program here is allowing for more diversity in our student body,” said Principal Claudia Vega. “What’s exciting is our school is becoming a neighborhood school that mirrors the east Dallas community.” The introduction of the Montessori program at Mata Montessori is the result of a plan approved by the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees designed…

For the second straight day, the Dallas Independent School District has set a record for back-to-school attendance. Attendance on the second day of school in Dallas ISD is 151,800 students, up 8,248 students from the first day of classes on Aug. 25. This school year’s second-day total is the second-highest tally since the 2003-2004 school year. “We made it a priority during the summer to communicate the importance of students attending school the first week,” said Superintendent Mike Miles. “By reaching out to parents, sending information through releases and working with the school principals, we were able to make sure…

As Superintendent Mike Miles entered Thomas L. Marsalis Elementary School the morning of Aug. 25, the scene was similar to that taking place at 223 other schools on the first day of classes in the Dallas Independent School District. As the clock reached 7:50 a.m., a steady stream of smiling children and focused family members entered the building and headed to their appointed classrooms or other locations. Outside, a handful of the more than 793 school buses in use across the district safely delivered smiling boys and girls to the southern Dallas school. Miles and Deputy Superintendent Ann Smisko chose Marsalis…