As the nation's eleventh largest school district, Dallas Independent School District serves more than 164,500 students who come from homes where 58 different languages are spoken. Operating with a $1 billion dollar budget, DISD employs 19,234 employees including 10,500 teachers in 218 schools.
25 Oct 2001
Moses Says District Must Prioritize Recommendations, Make Cuts In Proposal
DALLAS—Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Mike Moses and Deputy Superintendent—Business Services, Dr. Larry Groppel, on Thursday evening told the board of trustees that assessments of the district's facilities point to the need for $1.84 billion in new buildings and renovations.
"This is the number we've all expected, but we must whittle it down to a figure we think we can live with as a district and feel strong about asking the people of Dallas to support in a bond election in early 2002," Moses said.
Moses said the $1.84 billion for renovations and new buildings would include two new DISD high schools, six middle schools and 24 elementary schools.
"We are working daily to build a better education system in the district, and there are a lot of needs out there, but we probably need to further reduce this number," Moses said. "Citizens know we need to address the overcrowding in our schools, and they know we need to decrease the number of portable classrooms."
Groppel said the figures presented to the board were gathered by the district's five-year-old Facilities Needs Task Force and through an independent study done by Heery International, a construction consulting company.
"Both groups have done considerable work to get us to this point and their task has been monumental," Groppel said. "Now that we have objectively identified the needs, the hard part begins, and that's objectively trying to develop a proposal that covers the priorities and is something that the taxpayers of Dallas will support."
Moses said the administration was finalizing its assessment and would be ready to make a final recommendation to the board during its November 14 Committee of the Whole meeting. Moses also recommended the board hold a public hearing November 12 to receive input on the final proposal. The superintendent said a date for the election has yet to be determined.
"As soon as we can get a final figure established and the documents can be produced, we will be diligent in informing all who are interested in what our proposal will entail," Moses said. "At this point, however, we are still analyzing the numbers and trying to solidify the plan. This has been a very arduous task."
Voters have never rejected a bond proposal at the polls. The last bond election in Dallas was in 1992 for $275 million. A total of 16 new schools were built with the 1992 program.DISD School Board President Ken Zornes said the number is very large but not surprising. "It's important for everyone to know that the number represents real needs, not wishes," Zornes said. "Nevertheless, I think $1.8 billion might be too big a pill to swallow. I hope the task force can take another look and pare it down a little."
In September, Moses pointed out that more than half of DISD's school buildings were built before 1953. He also noted that as many as 40,000 of the district's 165,000 students attend classes in portable buildings. Seventy-four DISD portables are between 40 and 50 years old.Moses said the need for renovations and improvements increases each year. Already this school year, the roofs of two schools have become highly dangerous, including Urban Park Elementary's, which nearly collapsed during a rainstorm on the third day of school.
"We feel this program is important to the future of Dallas and the future of DISD," Moses said. "It's a fact that better schools make better communities and that the quality of education has a dramatic impact on the local economy. We know we must continue to improve the quality of education we provide in the classroom, but we also know something must be done to improve the environment in which we provide that education."