As the nation's eleventh largest school district, Dallas Independent School District serves more than 160,000 students who come from homes where 58 different languages are spoken. Operating with a $1 billion dollar budget, DISD employs 18,613 employees including 10,000 teachers in 220 schools.
19 Jan 2001
DISD Board of Trustees Set Priorities for the New Millennium
During the first month of the new millennium, school board trustees are being saluted for their dedication and commitment to educating the more than 4 million children in Texas public schools. By aligning their priorities with the newly appointed general superintendent, the nine school board trustees for the Dallas Independent School District hope the birth of the millennium will produce improved student achievement for the district's 161,731 schoolchildren.
Some of the board's priorities include effective and responsible business and financial practices, improve facilities to create best learning environments, encourage more parental involvement and provide teachers with proper training and support, Roxan Staff, board president said. "The board is happy to have hired a strong leader who will take the district in a direction that will benefit all students," added the District 2 representative.
In addition to hiring the superintendent, the DISD school board trustees are charged with approving the annual budget, adopting policy and evaluating district performance, said trustee Hollis Brashear who represents District 6.
"As individuals and collective body, the board ensures that resources, facilities, personnel and teachers are available to enhance the learning capacity and achievement of all students," he said.
Representing District 3, Lois Parrott says the board takes its role seriously because of the people who are making a difference in the Dallas Independent School District.
"I am proud of our students and principals and employees who work day in and day out," she said. "We have been addressing the needs of our students and creating a safe and positive environment for them in the classroom."
Some of the recent initiatives the board have supported to cultivate the district's goals and vision are:
• A general operating budget of $940,708,071 that focuses on student needs.
• A compensation package that offers competitive salaries to employees.
• A Dropout Prevention, Intervention and Recovery program that focuses on academic issues and helps students to complete graduation requirements.
• Math, reading and science plans that offer comprehensive, consistent and quality curricula.
• A ninth grade initiative, creating a 20 to 1 class size students-to-teacher ratio.
• Additional funding to increase participation in the advanced placement program.
All of the Dallas Independent School District board trustees are elected from single-member districts to serve rotating, three-year terms of office. These board members, who are not paid, serve countless hours on four working committees throughout the month to prepare for their regular meeting held at 6 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month.
Listed below is a brief glance at the nine board trustees who have made a commitment to the children enrolled in the 220 Dallas Independent School District.
• Roxan Staff, board president who represents District 2
Elected to the board in 1996, Staff's district includes North and Near East Dallas. She has eight years teaching experience in Garland, Boyd and Dallas public school districts. Staff is a founder of the Bachman/Northwest Highway Community Association.
•Se-Gwen Tyler, board first vice president who represents District 5
Elected to the board in 1998, Tyler's district includes East Oak Cliff and West Dallas. She served as a counselor in a teen mothers' program. As chair of the neighborhood Renaissance Partnership Program committee, Tyler helped gather funding to rebuild declining neighborhoods and to increase educational and housing opportunities while upgrading the infrastructure.
•Kathleen Leos, board second vice president who represents District 8
Elected to the board in 1995, Leos' district includes West and Near North Dallas. She has worked to improve early childhood education and literacy for children and adults, especially in the Hispanic community. Leos helped build consensus among five diverse, non-English speaking cultures and led the charge in Dallas to end involuntary busing under the desegregation court order.
•Ron Price, board secretary who represents District 9
Elected to the board in 1997, Price represents South Dallas. He was instrumental in changing state law which now prohibits the sale of alcohol near any school in the state of Texas. Price was the founder of The Pearl Guards, chairman of Young Brothers United and a member of the South Dallas Cultural Center.
•Ken Zornes, board trustee who represents District 1
Elected to the board in 1999, Zornes represents Northwest Dallas. He has volunteered for the American Heart Association, March of Dimes, Spina Bifida Association and Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure. He is a member of the board of management at Camp Jubilee: a camp for children with sickle cell anemia.
•Lois Parrott, board trustee who represents District 3
Elected to the board in 1996, Parrott represents Northeast Dallas. She has been involved in state and national PTA organizations. Parrott is an active member of her local PTA. She is a former school-centered education council member and Circle 10 Boy Scouts of America nominating committee member. Recent honors include the Jane Douglas Community Service Award 2000 and Reading Plan Laureate Honorary Member for 2000-01.
•George Williams, board trustee who represents District 4
Elected to the board in 1999, Williams' district includes Southeast Dallas and Seagoville. He is a supporter of the Seagoville Youth Sports Association and a member of the Federal Corrections Community Relations Board.
•Hollis Brashear, board trustee who represents District 6
Elected to the board in 1992, Brashear represents Southwest Dallas. He is the President and CEO of HNB Consulting Engineers, a firm he founded in 1993. He serves on the boards of several organizations including those dealing with education, arts, workforce development, religion and science. Brashear recently received the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award 2000 and 1999 Man of the Year Award for North Texas AME District.
•José Plata, board trustee who represents District 7
Elected to the board in 1995, Plata's district includes Central Oak Cliff and West Dallas. He is former education committee chairperson of the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Greater Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Recently Plata was named to the Corporate Advisory Board of the University of Dallas.
Visit the Dallas Independent School Distrist's website at www.dallasisd.org for complete biographies of the board trustees.