Dallas ISD Trustee Ben Mackey: Dallas ISD is rounding the corner!

It is already the final grading period for schools in Dallas ISD! There are many important updates and news, outlined below.

We are rounding the corner and into the home stretch of one of the most challenging school years in generations. This month’s update includes information about finishing out this school year and looking forward to the next one.

This month, the Dallas ISD school board selected new board officers. I am honored to have been selected by my colleagues to serve as the Dallas ISD School Board president for the 2021-2022 school year. I promise that I will work tirelessly to continue to earn the trust placed in me for this role.

Dallas ISD District 7 Monthly Updates

Update on Governor’s mask order: As you may know, Governor Abbot declared that public schools and district facilities cannot require masks starting June 5. Dallas ISD will continue to strongly encourage all to wear a mask. However, if you would like to opt your student back into virtual learning for the final two weeks of the year, you may do that by speaking with your principal to make that selection.

Special education referral issue and progress toward resolution: Over my time as a trustee, I have had the opportunity to work with numerous constituents and advocates to help make improvements to Dallas ISD’s Special Education department. Over this last year, Dallas ISD has made some major steps forward, including putting cameras in all self-contained SPED classrooms and bringing in expert leadership to oversee the department. As part of its own, internal audit, Dallas ISD found a backlog of SPED referrals that had gone unprocessed. I am proud of how swiftly leadership has taken ownership of this issue and is ensuring full transparency in rectifying the problem with haste. Dallas ISD is making significant increases to funding in the Special Education department to improve effectiveness.

Dallas ISD to expand after-school programs over coming years: As part of its strategy to mitigate learning loss, Dallas ISD is poised to make a significant investment in expanding after-school programs for students and families across our district. Dallas ISD will be increasing the availability of after school programs above and beyond what is currently offered. Here in District 7, we have three schools that have been prioritized for additional after school programs next year: John Peeler Elementary, Stevens Park Elementary, and Sidney Lanier (soon to be Jesus Moroles) Vanguard for the Expressive and Performing Arts.

Preliminary 2021-22 Budget Presentation: Every year, Dallas ISD trustees adopt the budget for the next school year by the end of June. This month, Chief Business Officer Dwayne Thompson presented trustees with the first pass of the budget. This conservative budget would maintain Dallas ISD’s healthy fund balance and result in a lower tax rate next year. It would fund raises for staff across the district, including raising the minimum wage of our support workers to $13.50.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at BenMackey@DallasISD.org if you have thoughts, ideas, questions, concerns, or simply want to say hello!

Best,
Ben Mackey