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Dallas ISD District 1 Newsletter – May 2026 Recap
Note: Please see our website for Spanish version when available.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! I was honored to hand diplomas to hundreds of incredible young leaders across our District 1 high schools. More on their amazing accomplishments below.
This month’s update includes passing the 2026-2027 budget, new board officers, and a record-setting staff climate survey.
If you know of others that would appreciate this newsletter, they can sign up at www.lancecurrie.com/newsletter.
Dallas ISD Updates
Celebrating the Class of 2026: Our graduates from all three District 1 high schools showed up and showed out this year. W.T. White graduated its largest class ever with 491 graduates, and collectively they secured more than $40 million in scholarships. Thomas Jefferson also secured more than $40 million in scholarships, and 100% of the class met the requirements to be considered College, Career, or Military Ready (CCMR). And 100% of students at North Lake Early College High School have been admitted to college. These results reflect years of investment in our schools, including more rigorous coursework, better counseling, and teachers who believe every student can succeed. Congratulations to the students, and thank you to the teachers and administrators who worked so hard to get them here.
Dallas ISD Adopts 2026-27 Budget: The Board voted to adopt the 2026-27 budget. Here are some key elements:
- The approved budget totals ~$1.9 billion. The budget projects a shortfall of ~$104 million, but we have more than enough fund balance to cover this shortfall. As a refresher, fund balance is the “savings” of the district. But unlike you and me, it is possible for the district to have too much “savings” as that is taxpayer dollars sitting in bank accounts and not helping kids. Dallas ISD follows the best practice of keeping a fund balance that can cover at least three months of operating expenses, and the district remains well above this line. That said, the district understands it cannot continue at this pace forever, so our goal as a district is to achieve a balanced budget by the 2028-29 school year.
- Dallas ISD’s starting teacher salary is now $68,000—compared to a regional average of $64,000—and average salaries for returning teachers will exceed $78,000. Total teacher salary increases are more than $37.5 million, averaging around a 5% raise.
- The district’s minimum wage increased to $17.50/hour, staying significantly above the surrounding region.
- The budget fully funds universal pre-kindergarten for all interested students and parents across the district.
- The district reduced approximately 100 central staff positions, continuing a three-year trend of shifting resources from central office directly to campuses—totaling more than 259 positions and $98 million in central office reductions over that period.
- We expect our tax rate to be $0.99 per $100 of value, which is lower than our current rate. Any increase you see in the taxes you pay is due to increasing property valuations, not an increase in Dallas ISD’s overall tax rate.
Board Swearing-In and Officer Elections: Congratulations to our three re-elected trustees—Sarah Weinberg (D2), Joyce Foreman (D6), and Joe Carreón (D8)—who were sworn in at the May board meeting. The Board also elected officers for the 2026-27 school year: Joe Carreón as Board President, Sarah Weinberg as First Vice President, Byron Sanders as Second Vice President, and Prisma García as Board Secretary. I’m excited to continue working with this strong group of trustees.
Staff Climate Survey Hits All-Time High: Staff morale continues to rise, with growth in every survey area and all-time highs since the survey began in the 2017-18 school year. This is the second consecutive year the district has achieved a new high, which is a big reason why we continue to see strong teacher retention. Positive culture and environment responses from Dallas ISD team members increased to nearly 76%, almost 2% higher than the prior year. Investing in our people works.
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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Foster Elementary Welcomes New Principal: Congratulations to Ms. Adriana Campos Low, new principal at Foster. Believe it or not, Ms. Low was formerly a student at Foster when she was in elementary school. So glad to have someone who knows and loves that community serve as its leader.
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Gooch Elementary Opens Mini Pitch: Tom C. Gooch Elementary opened a new mini soccer pitch, sponsored by Vita Coco and U.S. Soccer Foundation. Thank you to these great partners for supporting our kids and bringing smiles to our young athletes.
Upcoming Events
- Summer Break! Dallas ISD (including board meetings) will return in August.
- Thursday, June 11 at 4:00 p.m. – Board Briefing (5151 Samuell Blvd)
- Thursday, June 25 at 6:00 p.m. – Board Meeting (5151 Samuell Blvd)
- Tuesday, August 11 – First Day of School
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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