Adding opportunities to the school year
Dallas ISD has made great strides in student achievement, and during its regular meeting in January, the Board of Trustees gave the district another tool to make sure that students are getting all the support they need to succeed when it approved the Additional Days School Year (ADSY) starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
Early Start ADSY adds extra learning days for 13 elementary schools and for sixth graders in seven middle schools before the start of the regular school year and on select Saturdays to support academic growth, build confidence, and ensure students begin the school year prepared for success. The additional days will also help students regain any skills they may have forgotten during the summer and get the support they need to be their best selves.
Team members
Team members at John Q Adams, Lee McShan Jr., *Lida Hooe, John Neely Bryan, J.N. Ervin, José “Joe” May, Julian T. Saldivar, Harrell Budd, Birdie Alexander, Frank Guzick, and Ronald E. McNair elementary schools; H.S. Thompson STEAM Academy; and Marcus Leadership Academy will report to work on July 20.
Sixth-grade teachers as well as CILT and elective teachers at T.W. Browne, Hector P. Garcia, Sam Tasby, Harold Wendell Lang Sr., and Boude Storey middle schools; Royce West Leadership Academy; and Young Men’s Leadership Academy at Fred F. Florence will also start the school year on July 20.
Staffing is structured to ensure strong instructional coverage at each level and allow campuses to start the year with collaboration, consistency, and a shared focus on meeting student needs early. Although participation is not contractual, teachers are strongly encouraged to attend. All support staff at the elementary schools will be at the campus to ensure the school year starts as planned.
*Lida Hooe is Saturday School only
Saturday school
Saturday programming allows campuses to extend learning time, strengthen relationships with students, and start the year with strong academic momentum. Saturday School hours are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday sessions are an important part of Early Start ADSY and provide an additional opportunity to support student learning. At elementary Early Start ADSY campuses, all teachers are expected to participate in Saturday sessions while middle school sixth-grade, CILT, and specials teachers are expected to participate in Saturday sessions to ensure students receive consistent instructional support.
Saturday programming allows campuses to extend learning time, strengthen relationships with students, and continue the year with strong academic momentum. Teachers are encouraged to engage and support enrollment of at least six students for each Saturday session to qualify for compensation.
Compensation
Principals at ADSY schools will receive a $3,000 stipend while assistant principals, instructional specialists and campus coordinators will receive a $2,000 stipend for working the additional days.Support staff who are off-contract (ex. school clerk, teacher assistant, food service staff) will receive an hourly rate of pay for all hours worked off contract. Support staff on-contract (ex. office manager, data controller, custodian) will receive no additional pay, but may receive overtime for additional hours worked due to ADSY.
Teachers and other campus professional staff will receive $350 per day for days worked off contract.
Stipends and pay for additional days worked before the school year are expected to appear in the September paychecks while pay for Saturdays worked will appear on checks the month following the date worked. For more information and frequently asked questions, please see the FAQ document.
