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Dallas ISD District 1 Newsletter – April 2026 Recap
Note: Please see our website for Spanish version when available.
We did it! Dallas voters passed a historic investment in our schools by an overwhelming margin. Thank you for seeing the great progress Dallas ISD has made in student outcomes, and thank you for your faith in our teachers and administrators working every day to help our students succeed. More details below.
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Dallas ISD Updates
Historic $6.2 Billion Bond Package Passes: Voters passed the second largest bond package in the history of municipal entities in May. As explained in prior newsletters, the bond package replaces 26 schools whose average age is 70+ years, removes all 700 portables in the district, and addresses 100% of the district’s deferred maintenance, plus many other improvements. It does so with only a ~$0.01 tax increase per $100 of assessed value, which translates to $2.79 per month for the average household in Dallas.
The district has immediately started working on how to efficiently and transparently meet voters’ expectations and deliver to students. I expect some smaller projects (playgrounds, etc.) to start rolling out within the next twelve months. Community discussions on larger projects, such as replacing F.P. Caillet in District 1, will also start in the next year, but it may be a couple of years before construction actually starts. The district will create a bond tracker like the 2020 bond so the public has visibility into each project, its timing, and its cost.
College, Career, and Military Readiness: We continue to see progress in our goals, with more students meeting college readiness benchmarks, earning industry certifications, and completing financial aid applications. More students are also graduating with clear pathways into the workforce, with growth in Level I and II certificates and more options for what comes next.
Budget Update: The board received an update on the current year’s budget and an early look at planning for 2026–2027. The proposed budget doubles down on investing in people by raising starting teacher pay to $68,000, increasing the minimum wage to $17.50, and tying meaningful salary growth to performance and hard-to-staff campuses. Dallas ISD will host a series of community budget meetings. These meetings are an opportunity for families and community members to learn more about the district’s priorities, ask questions, and share feedback as the budget takes shape.
District 1 Updates
Here are highlights from our District 1 schools. Please e-mail any ideas you have for highlights to LanceCurrie@dallasisd.org.
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W.T. White Tennis Star Wins 2nd in State: Congratulations to Brodie from W.T. White for finishing 2nd in the State tennis meet. You’ve demonstrated your incredible talent and hard work, and you should be very proud.
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Foster Teachers Get Refreshing Surprise: Teachers at Foster Elementary received a surprise visit from the Sonic Refresher Drink Truck. Thank you, teachers, for all your great work for our future leaders.
Upcoming Events
- Thursday, May 14 at 4:00 p.m. – Board Briefing (5151 Samuel Blvd)
- Saturday, May 16 at 9:00 a.m. – All Campus Job Fair (Conrad HS, 7502 Fair Oaks Ave)
- Tuesday, May 19 at 6:00 p.m. – Career Institute South Dedication (4949 Village Fair)
- Thursday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m. – Board Meeting (5151 Samuel Blvd)
- Tuesday, June 2 at 4:00 p.m. – DSI Campus Job Fair (Pinkston HS, 2815 Bickers St)
- Tuesday, June 23 at 4:00 p.m. – All Campus Job Fair (Skyline HS, 7777 Forney Rd)
Thank you for the opportunity to serve our students and community. If you have questions, thoughts, or want to talk about how we can work together to make Dallas ISD the best school district in the country, please reach out. I’m happy to grab coffee or set up a Zoom call. Just e-mail me at LanceCurrie@dallasisd.org or lance@lancecurrie.com.
Thank you,
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