16 Aug 2004
Parent Hotline Helps With First Week Concerns
DALLAS—Classes for the Dallas Independent School District students begin Monday, Aug.16, with an expected enrollment of 160,700 students.
To ease the confusion of the first day of classes, the district has set up a parent hotline to address school-related concerns. Parents should call 972-925-5437 (KIDS) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 16-17 to receive information about enrollment, bus routes, applications for free and reduced school lunches, immunization requirements, school locations, hours of operation and other school-related concerns. From Aug. 18-20, the hotline will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For the 7,326 pre-kindergarten students expected to enroll this year, classes will begin a week later on Monday, Aug. 23. The increasing demand for pre-kindergarten has led the district to schedule 135 full-day classes and 110 half-day classes. The half-day morning classes are from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; afternoon classes are from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The full-day pre-kindergarten program is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year, Victor H. Hexter Elementary, Martha Turner Reilly Elementary, and the new Highland Meadows Elementary will offer pre-kindergarten instruction. This brings the total number of elementary schools that offer pre-kindergarten to 138.
The first week of kindergarten will be from 8 a.m. to noon, starting Aug. 16, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the remainder of the school year. The school hours for elementary schools are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; middle schools, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; high schools, 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.; Skyline and Townview Center 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Parent/teacher conferences have been scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 11 for high schools; Oct. 12 for elementary schools, and Oct. 14 for middle schools. Spring semester conferences are Feb. 28 for high schools; March 1 for elementary schools, and March 3 for middle schools.
• Student report cards will be issued on Oct. 4, Nov. 15, Jan. 10, Feb. 28, April 18, May 26, and June 1. The last day of instruction is May 26.
• Classes at Gabe Allen Charter School will begin on Aug. 16 and will follow the district's traditional school calendar.
The 2004-2005 student calendar can be accessed on the district's web site at www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/calendars/