Dallas ISD Starting School Year 100 Teachers Short

About 100 vacant teacher positions were still to be filled in the Dallas Independent School District with classes set to start Monday.

Staffers planned to work during the weekend to help prepare for the start of the new school year.

The district has more than 200 schools and 10,000 teachers, so 100 vacancies is still a small fraction and officials said it is a smaller number than some past years. A teachers union leader said things are improving compared with past turmoil and the Dallas ISD is a good place for teachers.

A proposed tax increase was rejected by Trustees Thursday that could have provided more money for additional teacher incentive raises, among other things. Dallas ISD Board President Lew Blackburn said he voted against the measure because of last minute changes in the tax hike plan.

Blackburn said many of the programs to be funded with the the tax increase can still be provided and another tax hike could still be considered in the future. He said the district is on sound financial ground as the new school year begins and he was not worried about the teacher vacancies.

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