Dallas Independent School District, Texas

Dallas Independent School District

Dallas, Texas
District details
Superintendent: Michael Hinojosa
# of school board members: 9
Website: Link

Dallas Independent School District is a school district in Texas.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

* Superintendent
* School board
* Elections
* Budget
* Teacher salaries
* Academic performance
* Student enrollment
* Demographics
* Contact information

## Contents

* 1 Superintendent
* 2 School board elections
* 2.1 Election dates
* 2.2 Public participation in board meetings
* 3 Budget
* 3.1 Revenue
* 3.2 Expenditures
* 3.3 Debt
* 4 Teacher salaries
* 5 Academic performance
* 5.1 Proficiency assessments
* 5.1.1 Mathematics
* 5.1.2 Reading/language arts
* 5.2 Graduation rates
* 6 Student enrollment
* 7 About the district
* 8 Noteworthy events
* 8.1 2017: District designates schools as 'welcoming and protective' to all students
* 8.2 2016: Choice schools
* 8.3 2015: Superintendent Mike Miles resigns
* 8.4 2015: Forced resignation attempts and a letter of concern
* 8.5 2014-2015: Home-rule effort by Support Our Public Schools
* 8.6 2013-2014: Investigation into superintendent legal bills
* 9 Contact information
* 10 See also
* 11 External links
* 12 Footnotes

## Superintendent[edit]

|  This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

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Michael Hinojosa is the superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District. Hinojosa began serving as interim superintendent in June 2015 and was appointed full superintendent in September 2015. Hinojosa's previous career experience includes working in the district as the superintendent, a teacher, and a coach.[1]

## School board elections[edit]

The Dallas Independent School District board of trustees consists of nine members elected to three-year terms. All board members are elected by districtOnly the registered voters of a particular area may vote for a particular seat in a by-district election. This is opposed to an "at-large" election, in which all registered voters can vote for seats on the ballot regardless of geographic location..[2]

Office

| Name | Date assumed office

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Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees District 1 | Edwin Flores | 2015 | Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees District 2 | Dustin Marshall | 2016 | Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees District 3 | Dan Micciche | 2012 | Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees District 4 | Karla Garcia | June 27, 2019 | Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees District 5 | Maxie Johnson | 2019 | Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees District 6 | Joyce Foreman | 2014 | Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees District 7 | Ben Mackey | 2019 | Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees District 8 | Joe Carreon | November 19, 2020 | Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees District 9 | Justin Henry | 2018

|  This officeholder information was last updated on October 11, 2021. Please contact us with any updates. |

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### Election dates[edit]

See also: Dallas Independent School District elections in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, & 2021

Members of the board are elected annually in May to overlapping three-year terms.[2]

Three seats on the board were up for general election on May 1, 2021.

### Public participation in board meetings[edit]

The Dallas Independent School District board of trustees maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[3]

## Budget[edit]

From 1993 to 2013, the Dallas Independent School District had an average of $1,272,325,476 in revenue and $1,345,642,333 in expenditures, according to the United States Census Bureau's survey of school system finances. The district had a yearly average of $1,091,068,143 in outstanding debt. The district retired $106,589,714 of its debt and issued $217,040,810 in new debt each year on average.[4]

### Revenue[edit]

The table below separates the district's revenue into the three sources identified by the agency: local, state, and federal.

Revenue by Source

Fiscal
Year | Local | State | Federal | Revenue Total
Total | % of Revenue | Total | % of Revenue | Total | % of Revenue
Click [show] on the right to display the revenue data for prior years.

1993| $566,437,000| 71.18%| $158,327,000| 19.90%| $70,984,000| 8.92%| $795,748,000
1994| $518,119,000| 69.04%| $159,426,000| 21.24%| $72,886,000| 9.71%| $750,431,000
1995| $524,390,000| 67.46%| $178,314,000| 22.94%| $74,611,000| 9.60%| $777,315,000
1996| $580,070,000| 67.68%| $188,915,000| 22.04%| $88,067,000| 10.28%| $857,052,000
1997| $585,814,000| 67.15%| $197,979,000| 22.69%| $88,667,000| 10.16%| $872,460,000
1998| $632,629,000| 67.30%| $211,537,000| 22.50%| $95,848,000| 10.20%| $940,014,000
1999| $670,659,000| 68.68%| $202,760,000| 20.77%| $103,019,000| 10.55%| $976,438,000
2000| $724,925,000| 68.13%| $233,001,000| 21.90%| $106,033,000| 9.97%| $1,063,959,000
2001| $827,165,000| 71.33%| $215,769,000| 18.61%| $116,635,000| 10.06%| $1,159,569,000
2002| $872,436,000| 72.62%| $196,165,000| 16.33%| $132,769,000| 11.05%| $1,201,370,000
2003| $927,652,000| 68.24%| $266,060,000| 19.57%| $165,779,000| 12.19%| $1,359,491,000
2004| $953,405,000| 70.92%| $205,810,000| 15.31%| $185,142,000| 13.77%| $1,344,357,000
2005| $1,037,437,000| 72.43%| $209,650,000| 14.64%| $185,237,000| 12.93%| $1,432,324,000
2006| $1,120,696,000| 71.98%| $226,097,000| 14.52%| $210,079,000| 13.49%| $1,556,872,000
2007| $1,061,420,000| 66.86%| $312,635,000| 19.69%| $213,494,000| 13.45%| $1,587,549,000
2008| $922,764,000| 57.21%| $473,768,000| 29.37%| $216,482,000| 13.42%| $1,613,014,000
2009| $945,399,000| 58.52%| $440,876,000| 27.29%| $229,315,000| 14.19%| $1,615,590,000 | 2010| $1,010,412,000| 57.14%| $420,867,000| 23.80%| $336,955,000| 19.06%| $1,768,234,000

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2011| $934,377,000| 53.79%| $448,983,000| 25.85%| $353,634,000| 20.36%| $1,736,994,000
2012| $959,928,000| 57.21%| $466,566,000| 27.81%| $251,377,000| 14.98%| $1,677,871,000
2013| $977,957,000| 59.92%| $398,911,000| 24.44%| $255,315,000| 15.64%| $1,632,183,000
Avg.| $826,385,286| 65.94%| $276,781,714| 21.49%| $169,158,476| 12.57%| $1,272,325,476

### Expenditures[edit]

The table below separates the district's expenditures into five categories identified by the agency:

* Instruction: operation expenditures, state payments on behalf of the district for instruction and benefits, and retirement system transfers
* Support Services: support services, food services, and retirement system transfers for support service staff
* Capital Spending: capital outlay expenditures (i.e., construction, land or facilities purchases, and equipment purchases)
* Debt & Gov. Payments: payments to state and local governments and interest on school system debt
* Other: all other non-K-12 programs, except food services

Expenditures by Category

Fiscal
Year | Instruction | Support Services | Capital Spending | Debt & Gov. Payments | Other | Budget
Total
Total | % of Budget | Total | % of Budget | Total | % of Budget | Total | % of Budget | Total | % of Budget

Click [show] on the right to display the expenditure data for prior years.

1993| $365,854,000| 55.22%| $247,732,000| 37.39%| $26,343,000| 3.98%| $16,092,000| 2.43%| $6,537,000| 0.99%| $662,558,000
1994| $412,715,000| 53.89%| $291,600,000| 38.08%| $39,853,000| 5.20%| $16,448,000| 2.15%| $5,161,000| 0.67%| $765,777,000
1995| $441,168,000| 52.65%| $303,278,000| 36.20%| $66,468,000| 7.93%| $17,512,000| 2.09%| $9,442,000| 1.13%| $837,868,000
1996| $447,427,000| 47.19%| $318,506,000| 33.59%| $144,971,000| 15.29%| $25,648,000| 2.71%| $11,558,000| 1.22%| $948,110,000
1997| $484,936,000| 49.71%| $309,708,000| 31.75%| $137,644,000| 14.11%| $29,834,000| 3.06%| $13,480,000| 1.38%| $975,602,000
1998| $502,762,000| 54.46%| $333,021,000| 36.07%| $50,508,000| 5.47%| $22,618,000| 2.45%| $14,282,000| 1.55%| $923,191,000
1999| $512,171,000| 54.22%| $354,189,000| 37.49%| $39,055,000| 4.13%| $22,567,000| 2.39%| $16,675,000| 1.77%| $944,657,000
2000| $575,903,000| 56.54%| $377,793,000| 37.09%| $27,773,000| 2.73%| $20,969,000| 2.06%| $16,195,000| 1.59%| $1,018,633,000
2001| $647,152,000| 57.34%| $413,381,000| 36.63%| $27,507,000| 2.44%| $20,084,000| 1.78%| $20,529,000| 1.82%| $1,128,653,000
2002| $659,143,000| 55.40%| $428,266,000| 36.00%| $58,730,000| 4.94%| $18,630,000| 1.57%| $24,935,000| 2.10%| $1,189,704,000
2003| $760,360,000| 56.35%| $452,929,000| 33.57%| $73,986,000| 5.48%| $36,643,000| 2.72%| $25,383,000| 1.88%| $1,349,301,000
2004| $730,295,000| 49.21%| $467,639,000| 31.51%| $222,934,000| 15.02%| $33,429,000| 2.25%| $29,645,000| 2.00%| $1,483,942,000
2005| $739,599,000| 40.33%| $474,901,000| 25.90%| $536,148,000| 29.24%| $49,844,000| 2.72%| $33,212,000| 1.81%| $1,833,704,000
2006| $767,180,000| 41.96%| $492,657,000| 26.95%| $472,624,000| 25.85%| $62,872,000| 3.44%| $32,841,000| 1.80%| $1,828,174,000
2007| $802,339,000| 48.44%| $535,655,000| 32.34%| $215,993,000| 13.04%| $72,978,000| 4.41%| $29,422,000| 1.78%| $1,656,387,000
2008| $900,426,000| 53.10%| $555,649,000| 32.77%| $137,918,000| 8.13%| $72,345,000| 4.27%| $29,379,000| 1.73%| $1,695,717,000
2009| $888,360,000| 54.87%| $562,005,000| 34.71%| $55,975,000| 3.46%| $88,911,000| 5.49%| $23,881,000| 1.47%| $1,619,132,000  | 2010| $864,098,000| 51.10%| $560,116,000| 33.12%| $153,232,000| 9.06%| $93,871,000| 5.55%| $19,719,000| 1.17%| $1,691,036,000

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2011| $880,849,000| 43.16%| $620,404,000| 30.40%| $437,620,000| 21.44%| $84,744,000| 4.15%| $17,471,000| 0.86%| $2,041,088,000
2012| $792,087,000| 41.68%| $556,348,000| 29.27%| $386,544,000| 20.34%| $152,173,000| 8.01%| $13,349,000| 0.70%| $1,900,501,000
2013| $767,652,000| 43.50%| $555,769,000| 31.49%| $293,336,000| 16.62%| $131,349,000| 7.44%| $16,648,000| 0.94%| $1,764,754,000
Avg.| $663,927,429| 50.49%| $438,645,048| 33.44%| $171,674,381| 11.14%| $51,883,857| 3.48%| $19,511,619| 1.44%| $1,345,642,333

### Debt

The table below shows the amount of debt retired, issued, and outstanding in the district for each year.

Debt

Fiscal
Year | Retired | Issued | Outstanding | Click [show] on the right to display the debt data for prior years. | 1993| $130,037,000| $250,571,000| $289,625,000

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1994| $15,060,000| $13,049,000| $288,772,000
1995| $16,844,000| $17,468,000| $288,820,000
1996| $65,160,000| $210,220,000| $442,901,000
1997| $10,185,000| $10,000,000| $413,354,000
1998| $21,550,000| $0| $391,804,000
1999| $185,585,000| $165,460,000| $399,278,000
2000| $22,035,000| $0| $382,078,000
2001| $26,715,000| $0| $357,855,000
2002| $63,245,000| $372,774,000| $662,729,000
2003| $126,699,000| $157,785,000| $720,047,000
2004| $47,050,000| $300,000,000| $979,544,000
2005| $91,230,000| $444,135,000| $1,327,128,000
2006| $49,010,000| $290,205,000| $1,577,636,000
2007| $40,449,000| $0| $1,472,110,000
2008| $49,340,000| $0| $1,467,688,000
2009| $153,125,000| $514,085,000| $1,855,708,000 | 2010| $232,730,000| $156,730,000| $1,769,899,000

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2011| $108,710,000| $1,020,380,000| $2,675,516,000
2012| $262,350,000| $197,935,000| $2,612,798,000
2013| $521,275,000| $437,060,000| $2,537,141,000
Avg.| $106,589,714| $217,040,810| $1,091,068,143

## Teacher salaries[edit]

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year  |  Minimum  |  Maximum

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2021[5] |  $47,000  |  $114,973

## Academic performance[edit]

### Proficiency assessments[edit]

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[6]

#### Mathematics[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[7]

School year  |  All (%)  |  Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)  |  Black (%)  |  Hispanic (%)  |  Native
American (%)  |  Two or More
Races (%)  |  White (%)

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2018-2019 |  47 |  65  |  34  |  49  |  40-44  |  54  |  69
2017-2018 |  44 |  56  |  30  |  46  |  40-44  |  50  |  66
2016-2017 |  71 |  75  |  60  |  73  |  70-74  |  75  |  83
2015-2016 |  66 |  71  |  54  |  69  |  65-69  |  76  |  83
2014-2015 |  62 |  66  |  48  |  65  |  65-69  |  69  |  81
2013-2014 |  65 |  69  |  54  |  68  |  65-69  |  69  |  83
2012-2013 |  68 |  75  |  59  |  70  |  70  |  76  |  84
2011-2012 |  74 |  71  |  64  |  77  |  75-79  |  82  |  87
2010-2011 |  77 |  65  |  68  |  79  |  76  |  N/A  |  85

#### Reading/language arts[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[7]

School year  |  All (%)  |  Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)  |  Black (%)  |  Hispanic (%)  |  Native
American (%)  |  Two or More
Races (%)  |  White (%)

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2018-2019 |  40 |  51  |  30  |  41  |  40-44  |  50  |  68
2017-2018 |  37 |  47  |  28  |  38  |  40-44  |  51  |  67
2016-2017 |  62 |  63  |  52  |  64  |  60-64  |  77  |  82
2015-2016 |  61 |  58  |  53  |  62  |  60-64  |  79  |  83
2014-2015 |  63 |  56  |  55  |  64  |  60-64  |  76  |  83
2013-2014 |  64 |  60  |  57  |  66  |  60-64  |  76  |  85
2012-2013 |  70 |  66  |  66  |  70  |  74  |  80  |  88
2011-2012 |  82 |  69  |  78  |  83  |  85-89  |  88  |  92
2010-2011 |  82 |  67  |  79  |  83  |  85  |  N/A  |  91

### Graduation rates[edit]

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:[7][8]

School year  |  All (%)  |  Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)  |  Black (%)  |  Hispanic (%)  |  Native
American (%)  |  Two or More
Races (%)  |  White (%)

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2017-2018 |  87 |  80-84  |  85  |  87  |  ≥80  |  80-89  |  90
2016-2017 |  88 |  85-89  |  86  |  88  |  ≥80  |  80-89  |  90
2015-2016 |  87 |  80-84  |  87  |  87  |  80-89  |  80-89  |  91
2014-2015 |  87 |  85-89  |  85  |  87  |  80-89  |  80-89  |  92
2013-2014 |  86 |  75-79  |  83  |  87  |  80-89  |  80-89  |  86
2012-2013 |  85 |  70-74  |  81  |  86  |  90-94  |  70-79  |  88
2011-2012 |  81 |  80-84  |  79  |  83  |  85-89  |  60-69  |  83
2010-2011 |  77 |  75-79  |  75  |  78  |  75-79  |  70-79  |  83

## Student enrollment[edit]

Year[9] |  Enrollment  |  Year-to-year change (%)

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2018-2019  |  155,119  |  -1.1
2017-2018  |  156,832  |  -0.7
2016-2017  |  157,866  |  -0.5
2015-2016  |  158,586  |  -1.0
2014-2015  |  160,246  |  0.3
2013-2014  |  159,704  |  0.5
2012-2013  |  158,919  |  1.0
2011-2012  |  157,420  |  0.2
2010-2011  |  157,143  |  0.0
2009-2010  |  157,092  |  -0.2
2008-2009  |  157,332  |  -0.2
2007-2008  |  157,605  |  -0.8
2006-2007  |  158,814  |  -1.3
2005-2006  |  160,969  |  1.9
2004-2005  |  157,953  |  -1.5
2003-2004  |  160,400  |  -1.6
2002-2003  |  163,079  |  -0.3
2001-2002  |  163,562  |  1.2
2000-2001  |  161,548  |  0.7
1999-2000  |  160,477  |  0.4
1998-1999  |  159,908  |  1.5
1997-1998  |  157,622  |  1.8
1996-1997  |  154,847  |  4.0
1995-1996  |  148,839  |  2.6
1994-1995  |  145,019  |  1.7
1993-1994  |  142,652  |  2.1
1992-1993  |  139,711  |  1.5
1991-1992  |  137,686  |  1.7
1990-1991  |  135,320  |  2.3
1989-1990  |  132,256  |  1.0
1988-1989  |  130,904  |  0.0
1987-1988  |  130,885  |  -1.1
1986-1987  |  132,389  |  \-

## About the district[edit]

Dallas Independent School District is located in Dallas County, Texas.

Dallas Independent School District is located in Dallas County, Texas. It is classified as a large city school district by the National Center for Education Statistics. The district served 155,119 students during the 2018-2019 school year and comprised 240 schools.[10]

During the 2018-2019 school year, 86.2% of the district's students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 40.7% were English language learners, and 8.9% of students had an Individual Education Plan (IEP)An IEP is a specific education plan that is tailored to the needs of a student with a disability. It describes how the student learns most effectively, formulates goals for the student and considers their ability in relation to general curriculum..[11]

Racial Demographics, 2018-2019

Race  |  Dallas Independent School District (%)  |  Texas K-12 students (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native  |  0.5  |  0.4
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander  |  1.3  |  4.5
Black  |  22.0  |  12.6
Hispanic  |  69.6  |  52.5
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander  |  0.1  |  0.2
Two or More Races  |  0.8  |  2.4
White  |  5.7  |  27.4

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

## Noteworthy events[edit]

### 2017: District designates schools as 'welcoming and protective' to all students[edit]

See also: Sanctuary policy preemption conflicts between the federal and local governments

Sanctuary policy conflicts

Dallas Independent School District was one of 15 districts tracked by Ballotpedia that debated sanctuary policies as of October 16, 2017.
Learn more about these debates on Ballopedia's coverage of sanctuary jurisdictions »

The Dallas Independent board of trustees unanimously approved a resolution on February 23, 2017, that designated the district campus as "Welcoming and Protective of all its students and their families to the fullest extent of the law." The resolution also directed the superintendent to ensure students are aware of post-high school opportunities, such as scholarships and internships, regardless of their immigration status.[12]

The approval of the resolution followed two days of student protests in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issuing guidance memos on the enforcement of immigration laws and President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration. The memos called for more Border Patrol agents and prioritized the removal of individuals convicted or charged with a crime and reinforced prosecutorial discretion.[13][14]

A total of 23,000 district students were also absent on February 16, 2017, due to the Day Without Immigrants protest. Though officials from DHS said that the guidance memos would not impact the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects minors brought to the U.S. without legal permission, teachers and students spoke about students' fears of deportation at the school board meeting on February 23, 2017.[13][15]

Unlike other districts across the country, the resolution did not label the Dallas ISD a sanctuary district or safe zone.[13] It also said that the resolution should not "be construed to require an employee or agent of Dallas Independent School District to take any action in violation of federal or state law."[12]

### 2016: Choice schools[edit]

Four new "choice schools" in Dallas ISD began accepting applications in January 2016.[16] According to the Dallas Observer, choice schools "operate a bit like DISD’s highly regarded magnets, in that they have specialized programs that draw students from throughout the district, but they lack the academic- and performance-based admissions requirements that keep most families out of the district’s top campuses."[17]

According to supporters, these schools brought a new aspect of school choice into the picture because, unlike vouchers or charter schools, they aimed to keep students within public schools by providing more options for parents.[17] The district stated it would provide transportation for attending students and that it intended to open 35 choice schools by 2020.[16]

### 2015: Superintendent Mike Miles resigns[edit]

Mike Miles announced his resignation on June 23, 2015. Miles stated the move was due to family matters.[18]

The board unanimously voted to hire Michael Hinojosa as interim superintendent after Miles resigned. Hinojosa previously served the district as superintendent from 2005 to 2011. At the time, he left to serve a school district in Georgia. In September 2015, the board appointed Hinojosa full superintendent.[1]

Miles spoke of his impact in the district highlighting the district's updated teacher evaluation system and increase in early childhood education under his leadership. According to NBC 5, Miles stated that he had "made decisions that, while not always popular, were done with the best interests of children and the district in mind."[18]

Miles joined the school district in 2012 after serving as the superintendent of Harrison School District Two in Colorado for six years. He previously worked as a foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department.[19]

### 2015: Forced resignation attempts and a letter of concern[edit]

Following Superintendent Mike Miles' performance review at the board of trustee's meeting on May 1, 2015, the members adopted a letter of concern against Miles but did not fire him. The performance review came after board members Joyce Foreman, Elizabeth Jones and Bernadette Nutall sued the district when a performance review was not scheduled for Miles in a timely manner after they requested one. Dallas County District Judge Carl Ginsberg ruled in favor of the trustees, mandating a special meeting to review the superintendent on May 1, 2015.[20]

At the meeting, Foreman called for a motion to force Miles to resign in December 2015. The motion failed 6-3, with Jones and Nutall voting with Foreman. Fellow trustee Eric Cowan said he was not satisfied with Miles' performance, but he believed making such a change would be "irresponsible."[20]

The letter of concern with Miles was passed after the resignation motion failed. The letter was adopted with a vote of 7-2.[21]

At the meeting, Foreman called Miles' hiring practices questionable, said he was a bad manager and blamed him for the district's high turnover rate. She also criticized an incident from October 2014, when Nutall was physically removed from the premises of Dade Middle School. After her removal from the school, Nutall said that Miles had accused her of trespassing and had ordered the school's officers to escort her out. She had arrived at the building shortly before a staff meeting that was only supposed to include staff members and district administrators. Nutall said she had not planned on attending the meeting, asserting that she had only gone to the school to encourage the teachers there. After the incident, both Nutall and Miles asked the other to apologize to the community.[22]

In response to Foreman's criticisms, Miles told the board he had been hired to reform the district and that he knew it was not going to be an easy process.[20][21]

### 2014-2015: Home-rule effort by Support Our Public Schools[edit]

Volunteers with a local group called Support Our Public Schools circulated petitions starting on March 4, 2014, to turn the Dallas Independent School District into a home-rule district. A state law passed in 1995 allowed local residents to replace their existing district structure with a home-rule charter. This charter could bypass some state regulations including minimum salary schedules for teachers, curriculum standards, and the number of days in a school year. On January 20, 2015, a home-rule commission voted 10-5 against granting Dallas a home-rule charter.[23] Commission members had until June 2015 to develop a home-rule charter for the district. If approved by the Texas Commissioner of Education, voters would have approved or rejected the charter at the polls. State law required a simple majority and at least 25 percent of registered voters to cast ballots in the charter election.[24]

Support Our Public Schools was a group funded by former hedge fund manager John Arnold and several anonymous donors through his nonprofit organization, the Action Now Initiative. Arnold worked with local officials, including board member Mike Morath, to form the group due to concerns about the district's record of academic performance. Morath supported Support Our Public Schools but did not serve on the group's board.[25] The organization hoped to complete the entire process in time for the gubernatorial election on November 4, 2014. If successful, Dallas Independent School District would have been the first school district in Texas to use the home-rule charter process.[24]

Support Our Public Schools submitted more than 48,000 petition signatures to the school district in May 2014. District officials certified that enough valid signatures were submitted to proceed to the next step in the process.[26][27] The group had to gather at least 24,459 valid signatures, or five percent of registered voters in the district, to force the creation of a charter commission by the school board. School board members appointed 15 members to the charter commission during a meeting on June 19, 2014.[28]

Two members of the commission were selected by the entire board, four educators were selected by an advisory panel, and each trustee selected one commission member. D. Marcus Ranger, the husband of former trustee Carla Ranger, and Lew Blackburn, Jr., the son of trustee Lew Blackburn Sr., were appointed to the commission. The state's home-rule charter law does not restrict spouses or relatives of current board members from serving on commissions. An article published following the failure of the home-rule effort noted that eight of the nine Dallas board members opposed the initiative, which Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings suggested resulted in anti-initiative appointees. Commission chairman Bob Weiss rejected this argument and stated, "I certainly respect the mayor’s point of view but will politely disagree with the inference that the process was doomed because the commission did not act in good faith. This commission was not responsible for the appointment process."[23]

The following table details the charter commission, including how they were appointed:[28]

Charter commission[28]

Member  |  Appointed by
Bob Weiss  |  Entire board
Stephanie Elizalde  |  Entire board
Melissa Malonson  |  District 1 trustee Elizabeth Jones
Edwin Flores  |  District 2 trustee Mike Morath
Jeff Veazey  |  District 3 trustee Dan Micciche
Ricardo Mendez  |  District 4 trustee Nancy Bingham
Lew Blackburn, Jr. |  District 5 trustee Lew Blackburn Sr.
D. Marcus Ranger |  District 6 trustee Carla Ranger
Jerome Garza  |  District 7 trustee Eric Cowan
Danae Gutierrez  |  District 8 trustee Miguel Solis
Shirley Ison-Newsome  |  District 9 trustee Bernadette Nutall
Isaac Freeman  |  Advisory panel
Ron Oliver  |  Advisory panel
Bonita Reece  |  Advisory panel
Julie Sandel  |  Advisory panel

Local officials and advocates debated the group's efforts during the petition drive. Mayor Rawlings supported the effort in order to bring change to the district while board members Lew Blackburn and Bernadette Nutall questioned the motivations of Support Our Public Schools. Superintendent Mike Miles neither endorsed nor rejected the movement but argued the home-rule effort was unnecessary since the district had already initiated reforms.[29] Alliance-AFT president Rena Honea argued that this effort was "part of a plan to underfund our schools, declare them a failure, and contract out to private operators the control of our neighborhood schools, disenfranchising parents and community stakeholders and de-professionalizing teaching."[24][30]

Mark Melton, a local attorney and charter supporter, published a seven-page constitution in May 2014 intended to guide the charter commission. This constitution developed by Melton and four colleagues would have left the district largely unchanged. The document proposed a three-term limit on all board members, a provision for recalling board members and an earlier start date for district schools. Melton's proposal would have allowed a recall election to take place if 15 percent of residents in a trustee district signed petitions. He offered the proposals as a reaction to the rancorous debate taking place between Support Our Public Schools volunteers and some district residents.[27]

### 2013-2014: Investigation into superintendent legal bills[edit]

In late 2013, the Dallas ISD board of trustees solicited legal opinions regarding legal fees accrued by Superintendent Mike Miles during an investigation into a contract awarded earlier in the year. Miles was billed $18,143 by law firm Adams, Lynch and Loftin for representation during a hearing by arbitrator Paul Coggins in July 2013. The district paid the superintendent's legal fees due to a clause in his contract that covers fees for legal proceedings. The board heard legal opinions during a meeting on February 13, 2014, to determine if reimbursement was appropriate for an internal investigation. Coggins did not find any wrongdoing by Miles in awarding contracts but determined that Miles talked to witnesses throughout the investigation. The final report by Coggins also found that Miles helped write a resignation letter for a former district official that criticized the board of trustees. Miles was given a 90-day employee improvement period and a letter of reprimand after the hearing.[31]

## Contact information[edit]

Dallas Independent School District
9400 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75231
Phone: 972-925-3700

## See also[edit]

Texas | School Board Elections | News and Analysis

|
|

* List of school districts in Texas
* Public education in Texas

* Texas school board elections, 2021

* Analysis of spending in America's largest school districts
* United States school shootings, 1990-present

## External links[edit]

* Search Google News for this topic
* Dallas Independent School District
* Texas Education Agency
* Texas Association of School Boards

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dallas Independent School District, "Superintendent Michael Hinojosa," accessed August 4, 2021
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dallas Independent School District, "Board Members - Elections," accessed August 3, 2021
3. ↑ Dallas Independent School District, "Board Meetings - Public Participation," accessed August 3, 2021
4. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Public School System Finances: Historical Data," accessed December 1, 2015
5. ↑ Dallas Independent School District, "Salary Handbook: 2021-2022 School Year," accessed August 3, 2021
6. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 To protect student privacy, percentages were reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five (5) or fewer students were included in a data set, the data was replaced by "PS."
8. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "Four-Year Adjusted-Cohort Graduation Rates - School Year 2017-18 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
9. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ElSi tableGenerator," accessed March 8, 2021
10. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Search for Public School Districts," accessed March 8, 2021
11. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," accessed March 8, 2021
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Hub, "Trustees approve resolution designating all schools to be as welcoming and protective as possible," February 24, 2017
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Fox 4, "Dallas ISD passes welcoming resolution for undocumented students," archived February 24, 2017
14. ↑ Department of Homeland Security, "Executive Orders on Protecting the Homeland," accessed February 22, 2017
15. ↑ CNN, "Trump admin sets stage for mass deportations," February 22, 2017
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Fox 4 News, "Dallas ISD accepting applications for 'choice' schools," archived June 22, 2016
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Dallas Observer, "The Learning Lab: Inside the Effort to Re-Imagine Dallas Schools," archived January 21, 2016
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 NBC 5 News, "Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles Resigns," June 13, 2015
19. ↑ Dallas Independent School District, "Superintendent," archived October 10, 2014
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Dallas Observer, "Mike Miles Doesn't Get Fired at Special Dallas ISD Board Review," archived May 5, 2015
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Kera News, "Dallas School Superintendent Mike Miles Survives Another Attempt To Oust Him," archived May 6, 2015
22. ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Video: Trustee Bernadette Nutall physically removed from school by Dallas ISD police," archived October 25, 2014
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 The Dallas Morning News, "Dallas ISD home-rule commission votes against writing charter," archived March 8, 2015
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Dallas Morning News, "Group pushes for election to remake Dallas ISD as freer home-rule district," archived March 13, 2014
25. ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Dallas ISD trustee Mike Morath explains his role in home-rule group," archived August 12, 2014
26. ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Dallas ISD trustees struggle with how to form home-rule commission," archived June 3, 2014
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Dallas Morning News, "Dallas attorney Mark Melton's group releases proposed home-rule charter for Dallas ISD," archived May 23, 2014
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Dallas Morning News, "Dallas ISD trustees name 15-member commission to write home-rule charter," archived June 21, 2014
29. ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Superintendent Mike Miles: Home rule not key to a better Dallas ISD," archived November 1, 2014
30. ↑ Dallas Observer, "Dallas ISD Trustees Are Skeptical of Shadowy Home-Rule District Push," archived March 22, 2014
31. ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Dallas ISD pays superintendent’s legal bill in investigation," archived February 22, 2014

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