21 Jul 2000
The Dallas Independent School District fall semester will begin Monday, August 14, for students who attend schools which follow the traditional calendar. Starting dates for Edison and charter schools as well as calendar highlights are listed. Overall, student enrollment for the 2000-2001 school year is expected to be 163,000.
Traditional Schools
• Parent/teacher conferences at traditional calendar schools will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., on three different days, two times a year. Conferences have been scheduled October 2 for high schools; October 3 for elementary schools, and October 5 for middle schools. Spring semester conferences are February 26 for high schools; February 27 for elementary schools, and March 1 for middle schools.
School hours have not changed for the upcoming school year. The district will operate on the following schedule, but will remain open longer for afternoon programs as needed. Elementary School—8 a.m.-3 p.m.; Middle Schools—8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and High School—8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
Student report cards will be issued October 2, November 13, January 12, February 26, and April 18. The year-end report card for elementary schools will be issued May 25; the secondary schools report cards will be mailed June 1. The last day of instruction is May 25.
Charter Schools
• The school year at Gabe Allen Elementary School begins August 7—a week earlier than the majority of the district schools. Last day of classes for students is June 19. Report cards will be issued Oct. 12, Jan. 26, April 19 and June 19. Parent conferences will be held October 12 and February 1 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In addition, several breaks have been incorporated in the calendar including fall intersession Nov. 6-24 and spring intersession March 5-23.
Prairie Creek Academy and N. W. Harllee Elementary, the other two district charter schools, will follow the traditional school calendar with classes starting August 14.
Edison Schools
• Classes at the district's seven Edison Schools—Blair, Henderson, Hernandez, Maple Lawn, Medrano, Runyon and Titche—begin August 10 and conclude May 30. Hours of operation at these schools are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for grades K-2; and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for grades 3-6.
Under the Edison plan, instructional grading periods are divided in quarters. First quarter is August 10-Oct. 13; second quarter is October 16-Dec. 19; third quarter is January 8-March 21; and fourth quarter is March 22-May 30.
Parent conferences will be held Oct. 19-20; Jan. 11-12; April 11-12; and May 29-30. These are early dismissal days with classes ending at 1:30 p.m. Conferences begin at 2 p.m. Students' quarterly learning contracts will be discussed during the conferences.