The Dallas Independent School District has started taking applications for more than 100 choice and specialty school programs that will be offered by the district in the 2021-2022 school year. The district has launched a new application process.
The application process opened this week and will continue through January 31, 2021.
"In Dallas ISD, we offer parents what we call, 'best fit schools,'" says Angie Gaylord, the district's deputy chief of the Office of Transformation and Innovation.
Dallas ISD will host a "webinar" Saturday on what programs are available and how to apply.
"We've got parents, time and time again, who tell us they don't know the programs that are even available in their neighborhood schools," Gaylord says. "In the last couple of years, Dallas ISD has put a lot of resources around bringing parents back to the district and giving them more choices for their students. We want you to know what's available in your neighborhood school, and we also want you to know what's available in other areas of town in case you do have a student and want to pick a 'best fit' school."
Parents can see the options available and register for the webinar at www.dallasisd.org/ChooseDallasISD. The "Discover Dallas ISD" webinar runs from 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday.
"Our 'Pathways to Technology,' PTECH, early college high schools are industry recognized. These kids graduate with an associate's degree," Gaylord says. "We are launching career institutes in quadrants of the city. We've got STEM schools, STEAM schools, we've got nationally recognized performing arts schools. We've got personalized learning schools where kids are creating personalized pathways starting in pre-K. These are three and four year olds creating pathways for how they want to learn and what they want to do next."
Programs available can help kids graduate high school with an associate's degree or certificates in fields like aviation, construction, cyber security, electrical work and plumbing.
"We want our kids to be leaders. We want them to be thinkers. We want them to be empowered to be successful as adults," Gaylord says. "We know there are families who have not investigated what Dallas ISD has been doing."
This week, voters approved two of five parts of a bond package proposed by Dallas ISD. Parts that passed included $3.2 billion for 14 replacement schools and renovations to others and $270 million for technology to help ensure students would be able to connect.
Proposals for stadium renovations, natatorium renovations and construction of a performing arts facility failed.