The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees also met in August for the first meeting of the 2026-2027 school year.
Below are the highlights.
Lincoln High School track and field team recognized
Trustees recognized the Lincoln High School and Humanities/Communication Magnet girls track and field team for winning the 2026 UIL Class 4A state championship. The team claimed the title in June in Austin, making Texas track history with record-breaking performances and outstanding team achievements.
Trustees approve continued bond program investments
Trustees approved several items supporting ongoing improvements to Dallas ISD facilities through the bond program, including a renovation project at J.P. Starks Math, Science and Technology Vanguard.
The project includes a secure vestibule, mechanical and plumbing improvements, a major roof replacement, a new marquee, and select drainage and site improvements. Trustees also accepted the completion of several bond program projects, including additions and renovations at several campuses, including:
West Dallas Junior High School
Herbert Marcus Leadership Academy
Geneva Heights Elementary School, Buckner Terrace Montessori School
School for the Talented and Gifted at Pleasant Grove
Facilities renaming moved to next Board meeting
Trustees unanimously voted to postpone an amendment regarding the best practices and procedures to rename district facilities to Sept. 24.
Below are highlights from the August Board Briefing
Student outcomes show continued progress
District leaders shared encouraging student outcome data, with Dallas ISD meeting or exceeding targets in key areas, including reading and language arts and math for third and eighth graders.
Third-grade reading and language results exceeded the district’s target, although performance varied across student groups. District teams spent the summer analyzing the data and identifying ways to accelerate learning across all third-grade students, including staffing, writing instruction, and support for novice teachers.
In third-grade math, overall performance increased by one percentage point, with more students meeting their individual growth targets and moving from Meets Grade Level to Masters Grade Level.
Eighth-grade students also showed strong progress. Reading and language arts results exceeded the district’s target, while math results reflected continued improvement following an intentional focus on middle school math instruction.
Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde also shared that Dallas ISD earned an 85% in the 2026 accountability ratings, with 71% of district campuses earning A or B ratings.
Summer programs expand learning opportunities
Dallas ISD continued providing students with free, high-quality opportunities to learn, grow, and explore throughout the summer. Summer programming centered on four priorities: accelerating learning, providing enrichment, meeting legislative requirements, and supporting families.
The Summer Cool program served nearly 13,000 students in pre-K through eighth grade while Credit Boost served 752 high school students. Another 3,248 high school students participated in STAAR End-of-Course programming.
Summer Breeze offered 28 camps and reached 29,928 students, an increase from approximately 26,000 students the previous year. District leaders said the continued growth in participation reinforces the value of providing students and families with engaging summer opportunities.
Thousands of educators participate in summer learning
Students weren’t the only ones learning this summer.
About 6,500 Dallas ISD educators and campus leaders participated in professional learning opportunities, including 4,700 returning teachers, 945 campus leaders, and 800 new teachers.
Dallas ISD also hosted its first AI Summit and Montessori Summit, expanding opportunities for staff to explore new approaches and resources they can bring back to their classrooms and campuses.
Small Business Office reports strong participation
The Small Business Office presented its fourth-quarter report, highlighting continued efforts to increase opportunities for small businesses to work with Dallas ISD.
For the 2020 Bond Program construction category, small business utilization reached a little over 61%, surpassing the district’s 30% goal. In professional services, utilization exceeded 38%, above the district’s 35% goal.
The department is also working with agencies to make the certification process more accessible for goods and services vendors that have earned district contracts but are not yet certified as a small business enterprise.