It's time to go back to school and the Dallas Independent School District will begin the school year with good news.
"The progress has been phenomenal and we have been proud of the work that our principals and teachers have done," said DISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa.
Hinojosa said 13 schools that did not meet state accountability requirements have now met them.
Some of the schools even faced closure, but they have now met state standards
"We are making a lot of progress, but there is still a lot more work to do in Dallas ISD," Hinojosa added.
Four additional schools have been targeted for improvement.
In the past few years, the district has worked on strategic initiatives for early learning, along with collegiate academies. Students at those schools can received high school diplomas and associate degrees.
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Resources have been added in schools like the 13 where improvement was needed, but Hinojosa said the district needed the improvements to continue.
"We have cut other things first, to fund those initiatives, and we just can't sustain that. We can’t keep employees anymore," he added.
Most staff, including teachers, have not received raises in several years, and Hinojosa hoped a Tax Ratification Election will help the financial situation. It's a tax hike -- 13 cents for every $100. The school board will vote on Thursday on whether the election should take place. Voters would then decide about the tax hike.
"It is critical because every year, without it, we would have to cut $20 million every year, to fund these initiatives that have really paid off for us," Hinojosa said.
New Dallas ISD trustee Justin Henry could be the swing vote on the Tax Ratification Election. He told NBC 5 he planned to vote for it.
