Dallas Texas Independent School District (ISD)

Of all of the reasons why people might move to Dallas, perhaps the single biggest is the almost universal quality of the school system here. Several elementary, middle and high schools in the Dallas Independent School District (ISD) are ranked nationally as being excellent places to send your children to school. Combine the significantly above average school system with the excellent salaries most Dallas area corporations pay, and you have one of the most ideal living areas in the country.

The Dallas ISD is one of the largest school districts anywhere in the United States. Recent Census numbers showed that the Dallas ISD, which serves most of Dallas county, is the 12 th largest school district in the United States and the second largest in the state of Texas. The Dallas ISD currently serves over 300 square miles of land and serves all of or part of 14 other cities around the city of Dallas, including Mesquite, Lancaster, Highland Park, Grand Prairie, Garland, Farmers Beach, Duncanville, Desoto, Carrolton, Balch Springs, Hutchins, Wilmer, Segoville, Addison and Cockrell Hill.

As the city of Dallas has expanded since its inception, the Dallas ISD has expanded with it. Even to this day, the Dallas ISD opened up six new campuses starting in the fall of 2006. Thanks to the continued growth of the Dallas Metroplex, you can expect to see a continued growth of the district in the years to come.

The Dallas ISD began issuing uniforms to all their students in 8 th grade and below starting in 2005. This was done to combat rivalries that students would have over clothes and to help stop theft and bullying. Currently, the various high schools in the Dallas ISD have optional uniform codes. As of the most recent count, eight high schools in the Dallas ISD currently require uniforms.

The Dallas ISD is a busy place, indeed. The current enrollment numbers total over 150,000 students, with the largest number coming from elementary school enrollment.

The biggest reason for the continuing growth and success of the Dallas School System is the incredibly high test scores. According to the 2004 standaradized testing scores of the Dallas ISD, students scored in the 96 th percentile in math, in the 88 th percent in reading, in the 99 th percentile in social studies and they were the best nationally in science. Scores like these are reason enough for most parents to move their kids to the Dallas ISD.

For a complete list of all the schools that make up the Dallas ISD, consult this graph:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_ISD.

While no definitive link has been made, most experts believe that the biggest reason behind the higher than average test scores is the fact that teachers in the Dallas ISD make more than the national average. If good teachers are paid well enough to stay in a particular district, chances are, test scores will rise and you’ll have a district that is the envy of the rest of the state, maybe even the country.