Greetings, District 2!

Happy holidays! I hope you are enjoying the winter season. Please see below for highlights and updates.

 

Dallas ISD District 2 Monthly Update:

 

  • Progress Report: The education advocacy group, Children at Risk, recently published its own independent annual A-F rankings, and Dallas ISD schools once again shine for their academic performance. This recent Dallas Morning News editorial highlighted some of the policies that have led to academic achievement progress in our Dallas ISD schools.
  • Reading Renaissance: Reading has always been a big part of my life, so I was glad to find out that Dallas ISD library checkouts are soaring as students reconnect with reading. With 2020 bond construction-refreshed libraries, librarians in every school, United to Learn Book Bashes, Dallas Education Foundation Book Vending Machines, and no smartphones from bell to bell at schools, our students are enjoying a new chapter!
  • Careers on the Go: With an innovative new mobile lab (and another on the way), Dallas ISD now has an additional way to help build career awareness, bringing a variety of hands-on discovery modules to our middle schoolers to help generate ideas about their future pathways. We are thankful to the Dallas Education Foundation, the Addy Foundation, Atmos Energy, the Moody Foundation, Jacobs, and the Hoblitzelle Foundation for making it happen.

 

November Board Meeting Debrief: Last month, Dallas ISD had its regular board briefing and meeting. I’ve chosen to highlight a few items below:

  • Superintendent Evaluation: One of the most important jobs we do as trustees is to hire and evaluate the superintendent, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the district. Our evaluation process took place in November, and it is quantitatively tied to our board goals and constraints. As you can see in the link, Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde, Ed.D. exceeded goal expectations in academics and financial areas, and increased scores in parent and taxpayer satisfaction surveys. I am grateful for her tenacious effort, strategic focus, and leadership.
  • Superintendent Contract Extension: This month, I was proud to support extending  Elizalde’s contract through the 2029-2030 school year, which passed with an 8–0 vote. Under her leadership, Dallas ISD is among the highest performing urban districts in the nation. The new five-year contract corresponds directly with the timing of our new set of goals, and her increased salary reflects parity with other top public sector leaders in Dallas County. We look forward to the continued progress and rising student achievement that this leadership will help deliver in the years ahead.
  • Audit Results: Dallas ISD’s comprehensive financial report for the 2024-2025 school year is now final, and we remain in a solid financial position. Our audit showed zero findings, and we have received a ‘Superior’ rating from TEA on the FIRST Financial Rating. We finished last year with a fund balance of approximately $635 million. If we spend our full budget this year, including our one-year deficit budget of approximately $91 million, we will still be in a strong financial standing with a fund balance at or above best practice.

 

Dallas ISD 2020 Bond Update: As a result of the 2020 Bond construction efforts, by the end of this school year, Dallas ISD will have opened 15 new schools in two years, a novel feat. More than 63,000 people have received badges to work on the $3.54 billion bond program, which has already sparked more than $5.7 billion in economic activity while modernizing learning environments for thousands of Dallas ISD students. Key highlights of the 2020 bond program include:

  • 16 replacement campuses, 10 new facilities, 200+ campuses impacted
  • Zero increase in property tax rate
  • Career Institutes expanding to serve up to 12,000 high school students
  •  Resource Centers in underserved communities to assist families in need
  • AAA bond rating, which helps the district reduce interest expense

Citizens Bond Steering Committee Update: As much as the district has already accomplished with this 2020 bond program, there is still work to be done at many campuses, which is why our Citizens Bond Steering Committee shared planning and potential 2026 bond with the board at our briefing. Final recommendations to the board are expected by the end of the calendar year.

 

As always, please reach out to me if you have thoughts, ideas, questions, concerns, or just to say hello!

Best,

Sarah Weinberg

 

Stay up to date on the news from the district by following us on social media @Dallasisd and @dallasisdEspanol.