News Briefs

The Dallas Independent School District continues to impress the nation’s top bond rating agencies. Fitch Ratings recently upgraded the district’s underlying bond rating to AA+, while upgrading the district’s overall rating outlook from positive to stable. According to Fitch, the ratings reflect the district’s commitment to effective fiscal management. “This steady improvement in the district’s financial performance (which was notably achieved in the face of state funding cuts) was largely attributable to staffing-related expenditure reductions and conservative budgeting practices,” according to a press release from Fitch on businessnewswire.com. “Maintenance of vacant positions and tighter departmental spending controls allowed operations to…

It’s not uncommon to hear the phrase “dinner and a movie.” However, students and staff at Sudie Williams Elementary recently experienced dinner in a different way as they sat down with parents and community partners to also discuss designing a garden at their school.  The school’s Design and Dine event was organized with the assistance of the nonprofit group REAL Schools Garden with the goal of designing the school’s ideal garden. The garden would serve as an outdoor learning space where students can grow vegetables, make composts, monitor weather conditions and harvest the fruits of their labor. During the dinner,…

The 2014 season for UIL volleyball is over but the high-blocking, low-digging action saw stellar performances from key student-athletes and a shining record of zero district losses by one Dallas ISD team on their route to playoff contention. Carter (10-0) led district 11-4A ahead of Lincoln (7-3), Wilmer Hutchins (6-4), and James Madison (4-6) for playoff qualification this season. Carter’s Tanisha Brown was named Coach of the Year and Junior Middle Hitter Tristen Cojoe was named the Most Valuable Player for 11-4A. Molina’s Lady Jaguars took district 13-5A with an 11-1 district finish, 12-5 overall. Kimball came in one game…

Skyline rolls another week as they prepare to take on Klein Oak in this week’s Fox Sports Southwest DQ Big Game Of the Week as the featured story on FSS’s High School Scoreboard Live show. The Nov 28 6A Division I-Region II semi-final game between Skyline (12-0) and Klein Collins (11-1) at Waco’s McLane Stadium ended in a 34-14 Raider win. With the victory, Skyline advances to the regional finals against Klein Oak (11-3) at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec 6, at the Waco ISD Complex. South Oak Cliff also advances another round after a 78-29 win over Frisco Heritage High…