Dallas ISD bond proposal: a "yes" vote is a commitment to excellence

The following opinion piece was written by Todd Williams, Chairman and CEO of Commit Partnership, and was published in the Dallas Morning News on April 26, 2026. The letter can also be read on the Dallas Morning News website here.

As a proud graduate of Dallas ISD, I’ve experienced firsthand the power of our public schools to change lives. And now, as a nonprofit leader, I’ve also seen how far the district has come. It has earned the support of our community in its bond election this May.

In 2011, Dallas ISD was at a crossroads. We were on our eighth superintendent in 16 years. The district faced a $100 million budget deficit, and our campuses reflected billions of dollars of deferred maintenance. Academic outcomes were deeply concerning — roughly 10% of our 8th graders were earning a postsecondary credential by age 24. Confidence had eroded so badly that we canceled our school board elections due to a lack of interest.

There was no shortage of challenges. There was a shortage of belief and sustained commitment.

Fifteen years later, that story has changed dramatically.

Today, Dallas ISD educates 140,000 students — 89% of whom are economically disadvantaged and half of whom are English learners. Yet through intentional reforms, strong district and board leadership, and a relentless focus on improving talent at all levels while remaining laser-focused on student outcomes, Dallas ISD has fundamentally transformed itself.

The district has reduced failing schools to just 2 out of 228 campuses, and 71% of campuses are now rated A or B by the state. When adjusting for student demographics, Commit Partnership analysis shows Dallas ISD’s academic performance now ranks in the 83rd percentile statewide — an extraordinary achievement given the district’s scale and complexity.

This progress did not happen by accident.

In 2012, Dallas ISD became the first large Texas district to implement a strategic compensation system, rewarding highly effective teachers — often with salaries exceeding $100,000 — for serving students in the highest-need schools. The model proved so successful that the state later embedded it into the school finance formula through the Teacher Incentive Allotment, now used in more than two-thirds of Texas public schools.

The district also tied compensation for principals, school leaders and high school counselors to targeted outcomes and adopted high-quality instructional materials districtwide. It expanded early college P-TECH pathways to every comprehensive high school, and today, 10% of graduates earn an associate degree alongside their diploma. Through the Accelerating Campus Excellence initiative, Dallas ISD concentrated on top leadership and teaching talent in historically underperforming schools — a strategy that later shaped state turnaround funding.

Dallas ISD is not simply improving. It is embracing its role as a chief economic mobility engine within our community.

The 2020 Dallas ISD bond accelerated this transformation, funding four new career institutes aligned with regional workforce demand, modernizing dozens of campuses, and creating resource centers that integrate academic, mental health, and wraparound supports. Many campuses improved to “A” or “B” ratings following those investments.

Now we face another pivotal moment.

The upcoming $6.2 billion bond — the largest in Texas history and the second largest ever nationwide — represents the next phase of this progress.

If approved, it will effectively eliminate deferred maintenance across the 16th-largest urban district in the country. It will replace 26 aging campuses and ensure nearly every other campus has been rebuilt or renovated, including the removal of 700 outdoor portable classrooms , so every student learns in a high-quality facility.

With the district moving to free universal pre-K, the bond expands pre-K seats to strengthen kindergarten readiness, modernizes science and career and technical education facilities aligned with workforce demand, and transitions select feeder patterns to PK–8 campuses to reduce transition-related learning loss. It enhances safety and security while upgrading technology infrastructure to support modern learning environments.

Importantly, the bond received a 9-0 vote of the school board — its first unanimous bond vote since 2008 — and requires just a one-cent tax increase. As districts across the country face state intervention for failing to turn around flagging outcomes, Dallas has earned broad support from business, civic, and community leaders by recognizing what is at stake and taking bold action on behalf of students.

Dallas ISD’s trajectory proves what is possible when a community commits to excellence for every child. Transformation is not a single event; it is a sustained effort over time.

On May 2, 2026, we have the opportunity to take the next decisive step forward.

As someone who has witnessed this district rise from instability to become one of the most improved large urban districts in the nation, I urge our community to vote yes.

Our students are doing their part.  Now it’s our turn.

Todd Williams
Chairman and CEO
Commit Partnership