Dontavius “Dontay” Taylor, central kitchen supervisor in Dallas ISD’s Food and Child Nutrition Services department, carries a rich legacy of feeding young minds and bodies. A proud graduate of Seagoville High School, Taylor is the third generation of his family to work in school food services, a tradition rooted in love and community.
“It all started with my three great aunts, who started with FCNS in the early 70s at John Henry Brown Elementary,” he said. “My mother joined FCNS shortly after in 1986. I joined FCNS in 2005. Seeing these ladies create something out of nothing always inspired me because we didn’t always have much, and seeing them put all the love, sweat, and hard work into creating delicious food only made me dream of the possibilities I could achieve one day.
It was his mother, Jeanne Norman, a Dallas ISD cafeteria manager, who advised him to join the district when he was looking for what to do after leaving college.
“My mother said, ‘You have so much talent, let’s not waste it,’” Taylor said. “And here I am now.”
Particularly during the holiday season, Taylor and the FCNS team exemplify their commitment to providing students with a special meal that nourishes students physically and emotionally.
Before Thanksgiving, all cafeterias in the district served a traditional meal featuring turkey, green bean casserole, salad, and mashed sweet potatoes.
“For many students, this may be their only chance to enjoy a holiday dinner. We want them to feel like home, like a real treat—full of nutrition, of course, but something that is also fulfilling,” he said. “You notice when you have special meals like this, there is excitement not only among the kids, but also their parents, who can join in with their students. It turns the school environment into a family environment.”
For Taylor, the most rewarding part of his job is teaching, and he sees his role as more than just a job; it’s a calling rooted in service based on a simple yet powerful leadership philosophy: teach one, reach one.
He remembers being asked to participate in career day by the students when he was a cafeteria supervisor, he said. The students were intrigued about how the cafeteria could feed so many children at one time.
“I personally believe we are here to serve, no matter the need, big or small,” he said. “Our daily mission is to make sure our students get a healthy, balanced meal. We also want them to enjoy what they eat, understand what they are eating, and the benefits of eating nutritional meals. The most important things to remember when serving our students are: Respect, Kindness, and Love.”
In what has become an annual Dallas ISD tradition, eight students in fourth and fifth grade will showcase their oratory skills by competing on Friday, Jan. 17, in the 33rd MLK Oratory Competition co-sponsored by Foley & Lardner LLP and the district.
The competition serves as a celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., cultural diversity, and as an opportunity to spotlight talented Dallas ISD students as they learn about King.
Students will deliver their speeches on the topic “What would Dr. King tell us about our responsibility as citizens and leaders in America today?”
Congratulations to this year’s finalists:
Danielle Anderson | Fourth Grade | Clara Oliver Elementary School
Sidiba Dembele | Fourth Grade | Solar Preparatory School for Girls
Sullivan Perkins | Fourth Grade| Adelle Turner Elementary School
Ivan Shtonda | Fifth Grade | Arturo Salazar Elementary School
Khalyn Thomas | Fifth Grade | Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy
Zayden Vaughn | Fifth Grade | Frederick Douglass Elementary School
Jaxon Washington | Fourth Grade | Charles Rice Learning Center
The competition will take place 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora Street, and will be live streamed at MLK Oratory Competition Live Stream
For more information contact Tonya Mayberry Davis at tmayberry@dallasisd.org
Sunset High School Principal David Lee recently was named one of the 2025 recipients of the Johnny L. Veselka Scholarship from the Texas Association of School Administrators to pursue a doctorate in educational leadership and policy in The University of Texas at Austin’s Cooperative Superintendency Program.
Lee was selected from among a pool of applicants by the TASA Johnny L. Veselka Scholarship Committee, a group of Texas school superintendents and other public school district administrators.
He will receive a $2,500 scholarship and will be recognized during the 2025 TASA Midwinter Conference that will be held in Austin at the end of January.
“My journey as an educator and leader in Dallas ISD has been both challenging and rewarding, reinforcing my belief in the transformative power of education and the pivotal role leadership plays in shaping the future of our students,” Lee wrote in his application. “As a superintendent, I am eager to further hone and apply my leadership skills to realize my vision of inspiring and creating systems where every student, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to excel. As a superintendent, I look forward to contributing meaningfully to the field of education at the district level.”
The scholarship recognizes the leadership of Dr. Johnny L. Veselka, who dedicated nearly 44 years of service to the association, including 32 years as TASA’s executive director. The program is facilitated by TASA with the support of its 2024-2025 sponsor, PBK.
After careful consideration for anticipated road conditions and extreme temperatures, Dallas ISD made the decision to close all schools and central offices Jan. 9 and 10. Absences during emergency district closures due to inclement weather are governed by DEC regulations.
During a full district closure:
Campus-based employees who work less than 226 days may be excused for each day the district is closed or partially closed. Time off will not be taken from employees, and the employees’ pay will not be docked. Campus-based employees may have to follow the inclement weather make-up days as outlined by the applicable instructional school year calendar if those days are needed to meet the minimum instructional requirements. Campus-based employees should follow campus-based employee instructions and the instructional school year calendar.
Campus-based employees may include, but are not limited to, the following: teachers, teacher assistants, hall monitors, office managers, campus instructional coaches, food service staff, bus drivers, etc.
Central business services employees will be excused for each day the district is closed or partially closed. Time off will not be taken from employees, and the employees’ pay will not be docked. Employees will not be required to make up the days.
Central employees may include but are not limited to the following: administrative assistants, specialists, coordinators, supervisors, managers, executive leadership, etc.
Operations central 260-day employees may be excused for each day the district is closed or partially closed. If the district determines they are excused, time off will not be taken from employees, and the employees’ pay will not be docked. Employees will not be required to make up the days. However, the district may determine that Operations central employees may need to work each day the district is closed or partially closed. If the employee fails to report to work, the employee must use personal time off.
Operations central employees may include but are not limited to the following: custodians, maintenance specialists, plumbers, mechanics, delivery drivers, etc.
Essential personnel. As determined by the superintendent or designee, essential personnel are district employees called to duty to perform essential tasks when the district is closed or partially closed. Essential workers’ duties may also include after-hours and/or weekend duty when the district is closed or partially closed. Essential personnel may be exempt or nonexempt. Exempt personnel will not receive overtime or compensatory time. Nonexempt essential personnel will receive overtime rates or compensatory time based upon supervisor approval for time worked. At such time as the superintendent or designee declares the district open, employee compensation reverts to the standard practice in accordance with the district’s Compensation Resource Book. If the employee fails to report, the employee’s time off will be charged and/or salary adjusted accordingly.
Essential personnel may include but are not limited to the following: Police and Security and Operations-Maintenance.
Pay during district closures
Pay during a District closure will be governed by the provisions inDEA(REGULATION) as outlined below:
During a full district closure, nonexempt essential personnel will receive compensatory time or overtime pay for time worked as authorized by the supervisor in accordance withDEA andDEAB. Exempt essential personnel will not receive compensatory time or overtime pay. Exempt employees who are required to work during a district closure may be eligible to receive flex time. [SeeDK(REGULATION)]
At such time as the superintendent or designee declares the district open, employee compensation reverts to the standard practice in accordance with the district’s Compensation Resource Book.
Specific questions may be directed to the employee’s supervisor. Payroll questions may be directed to notifypayroll@dallasisd.org. Contact Human Capital Management at hcmcompliance@dallasisd.org with policy questions.
Absences during emergency district closures due to inclement weather shall be governed by the following provisions inDEC(LOCAL) and (REGULATION).
Thousands of team members have called Dallas ISD home for years, even decades. As part of the third annual Salute to Service, over 3,000 Dallas ISD employees will receive a pin this spring, recognizing significant district service milestones in five-year increments.
Team members may verify their years of Dallas ISD service using instructions provided on the Service Recognition Awards website through Feb. 10, at https://www.DallasISD.org/ServiceAwards.
In April, campuses and departments will receive a package with service pins, the roster of employees who earned a service pin, and a toolkit with instructions. Service pins should be distributed before the end of the 2024-2025 school year. Campuses and departments are encouraged to distribute the pins at a time when their teams can gather to celebrate.
In addition, Human Capital Management will host a special awards ceremony for those who have reached milestones of 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 years of service to the district at the Lifetime Achievement Reception on May 13.
Team members are encouraged to share celebrations across all social media and tag the district using the hashtags #DallasISDcelebrates and #DallasISDservice.
For more information, contact the HCM Employee Experience team at Recognition@DallasISD.org or 972-925-4080.
The Kroll Bond Rating Agency has assigned a AAA bond rating with a Stable Outlook to Dallas ISD, the highest bond rating a school district in Texas can achieve and is similar to an individual’s credit rating. This rating means the district can obtain the lowest interest rate borrowing costs in the bond market, which achieves millions of dollars in interest cost savings.
“Congratulations to Chief Financial Officer Ed Ramos, who successfully argued our case to the Kroll Bond Rating Agency, resulting in a AAA bond rating,” said Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde. “This is not just a testament to the wise fiscal oversight of this board. It also means we will save millions of dollars in completing our bond work, and that savings goes right back into construction projects to get more for our students.”
According to KBRA, the long-term credit rating reflects the district’s strong financial management policies and practices guided by an experienced leadership team,
favorable financial operating performance supporting solid reserve and liquidity levels, a mature and diverse economic base that has experienced continued growth, particularly in terms of its property taxing base, and what KBRA considers to be a well-managed and conservative debt profile.
The Stable Outlook reflects KBRA’s expectation that management will continue to effectively manage the district’s finances while balancing the need to remit recapture revenues to the state, the tax base will continue to grow, and that Dallas ISD’s overall net debt profile will remain conservative and well-managed as the district addresses its capital needs though the anticipated issuance of additional debt obligations.
Dallas ISD’s Campus Teachers of the Year have been chosen, and they represent the best of what the district has to offer.
They ensure equity by maximizing growth and achievement for students of all backgrounds. They collaborate with colleagues, students, and families to maintain a culture of respect and success. They deliberately connect the classroom to the community and the community to the classroom, engage in leadership opportunities that contribute to the work of the profession, exemplify the district’s vision, mission, and goals, and express themselves in a poised and articulate manner.
To be chosen as a Campus TOY, a teacher should have a 2024-2025 effectiveness level of Proficient I or higher, have not served as a campus winner in the last three years, and have at least three years of creditable teaching service.
Teachers who met the criteria were nominated and their faculty team members voted to select the campus winner.
In November, the Campus TOYs received an email invitation to apply for the District Teacher of the Year. The deadline to apply is Jan. 13. Campus TOYs will be honored at the WINNERS CIRCLE celebration in spring 2025.
More than 90 languages are spoken in the homes of Dallas ISD students, and more than 70,000 students are considered emergent bilingual, which means that the district needs more teachers certified in English as a second language to better serve students and ensure they are successful. And Dallas ISD is offering a $500 incentive for qualifying teachers who obtain the certification.
An ESL certification provides core teachers of emergent bilingual students in early childhood through sixth grade and secondary English language arts and reading teachers the skills necessary to support students’ simultaneous mastery of content and language. These skills also have the potential to impact higher student outcomes and lead to higher TEI outcomes for teachers.
That is why the district is offering the incentive as well as a series of in-person and virtual professional development opportunities to prepare teachers to take the certification exam.
“We are working in partnership with teachers to ensure that students can have an ESL certified teacher in the classroom that can best guide their learning so they can master the English language and take full advantage of the learning opportunities offered,” said Elizabeth Casas, deputy chief of Special Populations.
In person sessions are offered starting Jan. 14 during the school day and cover test preparation and pedagogy implementation. The sessions are seven hours and substitutes will be provided by the district for teachers who choose to attend the sessions. Sign up for an in-person session at Tiny.cc/ESLCertPrepInPerson.
Paid virtual sessions will be offered starting Jan. 16 during evenings and Saturdays and will cover test preparation. Sign up for a virtual sessions at Tiny.cc/ESLCertPrepVirtual.
To receive the $500 incentive in their July paycheck, qualifying teachers must:
Be a core content elementary teacher in grades PreK-5th/6th or a Secondary English Language Arts Reading teacher
Attend a Dallas ISD in-person or virtual ESL Certification Preparation session
Pass the TExES 154 ESL certification exam (cost $116)
Add the certification to your Texas Teaching License through SBEC (cost $78)
In Dallas ISD, team members, students and families come together at the end of the year to share with others who might need help or a little extra cheer. Their generosity makes it possible for children and adults to stay warm, to have extra food, or to get the toys and gifts they wish for to celebrate the end-of-year holidays. Below are several examples of the Dallas ISD community’s generosity.
W.H. Adamson High School
W.H. Adamson High School held its 16th Annual Toy Drive—“Santa’s Workshop”—In the spirit of “paying it forward.” The Adamson Leopard PTO members, students, and employees are involved in planning the annual toy drive. Adamson’s former community liaison, Maria Garcia, began the workshop for families in need 15 years ago. Each year since 2008, Adamson High School continues to host more than 200 families, including gifting almost 400 children with presents and food for the holiday season. The Adamson band plays live Christmas music, members of the choir sing holiday tunes, the Leopardettes Drill Team greet families as they walk in, and families get to enjoy the event and have photo ops with Santa Claus. Thanks go to the Adamson Alumni Association, Adamson PTO, Adamson Athletics, Oak Cliff community partners, and Community Liaison/Event Coordinators Mayra Quinones and JC Puebla for continuing to make this event possible every year.
Students organized a toy drive to support the incredible work of Community Partners of Dallas, collecting donations for abused and neglected children in the community. Thanks to the generosity of Sudie Williams families, we were able to contribute a variety of items that will bring joy and comfort to these children during the holiday season.
Edwin J. Kiest Elementary School
“Winter Wonders” is an event created by the school’s counselor after noticing that students needed winter accessories, coats, and even socks. Snowflake ornaments were placed on the school’s tree and staff could take one or more. Each snowflake listed an item needed in the clothing drive. For example: “Please purchase three pairs of gloves in sizes for students in second grade and younger.” Staff were asked to bring their donation back to campus by Dec. 12 and everyone at the campus was excited to share holiday joy in the form of staying warm and cozy this winter.
David G. Burnet Elementary School
The school’s Student Lighthouse Committee organized a winter clothing drive to collect hats and mittens for both adults and children with all donations benefiting Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support. They also hosted two annual drives to support different organizations. One is a pet food drive benefiting Operation Kindness, which has become a yearly tradition. Last year, we introduced a personal hygiene drive to assist the school’s local high school.
Maria Moreno STEAM Academy
This school is all about giving during the holidays. Every year, the school collects gifts and clothes for a small group of students experiencing homelessness, death of a parent, or extreme poverty. Some staff have sponsored children along with a local car club, but there are still several students who need support and benefit from this effort.
Moreno also holds a Giving Week during which the school collects items for Skyline Nursing Center, the local nursing home. This year, the school is collecting pajama bottoms, body wash and deodorant, blankets, hats, gloves, along with apples, oranges, and candy canes.
Special Services Parent Engagement and Community Outreach Department
This December marks the second year the Special Services Department has proudly participated in the Be An Angel Christmas Program: Spreading Holiday Joy, a heartwarming initiative that brings holiday cheer to special needs children in Dallas ISD. Students in Specialized Programs were nominated by their teachers to participate, ensuring the program reaches those who will benefit most. Volunteers shopped for personalized gifts for each child, creating a magical holiday experience tailored to their unique interests and needs. While challenges like tight timelines and coordinating logistics arise, the joy and gratitude from families make every effort worthwhile. This program, in its second year, highlights the power of compassion and community, reminding us of the true spirit of the season.
Nancy Moseley Elementary School
The school held a canned food drive to provide canned goods to The Stew Pot. More than 1,200 cans were collected in a competition involving all the grade levels. Two FLS classes raised the most cans and won the competition to give back to our community.
Irma Lerma Rangel Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School
The school has a student angel tree that team members pick from every year to help support students by giving them needs and wants like clothes and gift cards as well as a toy drive for the employees to give to homeless students in Dallas ISD. The school started this two to three years ago and selects a different recipient for the employee toy drive each year.
Martha Turner Reilly Elementary School
Each year the school hosts an annual Giving Tree to help families that may face challenges during the holiday season. It is a chance for the community and our employees to share the heart of giving with our very own students. This school year, we plan to help over 40 families.
Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy
The House of Altruismo hosted a schoolwide canned food drive in support of the North Texas Food Bank. Through the generous contributions of our community, we were able to collect nearly 400 pounds of non-perishable items. These donations will help close the hunger gap and provide much needed assistance to families in North Texas during this holiday season.
W.W. Samuell High School National Honor Society
W.W. Samuell’s chapter of the National Honor Society held its annual winter clothing and canned food drive. This year’s collection was the largest ever with over 2,000 items donated. All donations go to Inspired Vision Compassion Center, a nonprofit food bank serving families here in Pleasant Grove.
Alex Sanger Preparatory School
The sixth-grade soccer club students sacked 150 snack bags for the homeless community. They also collected several clothing items that will be donated to White Rock Center of Hope. This is the first time Sanger participates in the activity, but the club sponsor has done it since 2016 at previous schools.
Family and Community Engagement
On Dec. 12, the Family & Community Engagement Dept hosted a toy drive as part of their Winter Expo event. Community Liaisons and Parent Instructors from across the district donated a huge box of toys benefitting the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. DCAC provides a safe place for children and their families to begin the healing process after experiencing criminal child abuse or witnessing a violent crime. The staff was very grateful as they expect to provide holiday gifts to over 1,500 children living in Dallas County. We are so glad to be able to collaborate and help make the holidays brighter for some special kiddos!
Communication Services
Communications Services once again has adopted a school for the holidays, a tradition that Translation Services started a few years ago and has now become a departmentwide effort. The department wanted to help make the holidays a little brighter for a few students and chose H.I. Holland Elementary School, where an entire second-grade bilingual classroom will receive gift cards to fulfill the needs and wishes of 10 girls and eight boys who have 98% attendance. The gift cards will be delivered before winter break during a festive hot cocoa and donut party.
Resource Centers
Resource Center South had a toy drive and hundreds of toys were collected through the beginning of December for the community. Resource Center West and Resource Center South both also planned food giveaways for families of Dallas ISD students for the holidays.
A line of electric buses, shiny and new, is parked next to the brand-new charging stations at the Lawnview Service Station ready to go into service in the spring. The buses are part of a total fleet of 17 electric buses that the district will put into circulation in 2025.
Once plates are issued and drivers go through a special training in January, the buses—which have a 300-mile reach per charge—will be folded into routes around the Lawnview station.
The 17 buses are funded by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. This is the first step in the district’s plan to eventually transition to all electric buses, something that Bryant Shaw, manager of the Energy and Sustainability Services Department, anticipates will happen in the not too distant future.
Two other buses will be funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. As the district carries out this project, most of the funding for additional buses and charging stations at other service centers is going to come from the federal government thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.
“I can’t wait to see the new buses rolling down our streets, picking up our students with zero emissions, making our air cleaner, and more breathable for generations to come,” said Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde, when the buses were first announced as part of the Board of Trustees’ Environment and Climate Resolution from 2020. Pursuing funding for 25 electric buses is part of the goals set forth by the resolution.
As part of the installation of the electrical infrastructure for the initial buses, the district has a partnership with Oncor. According to Shaw, additional energy-saving efforts are being implemented, such as managed charging, so the buses will be charged at a certain time, such as the evening hours to manage costs.
Shaw and his team continue to diligently work on applying for federal funding to get more buses, including the EPA grant stemming from the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act. Dallas ISD also has received national attention for this work, as Shaw has presented the district’s efforts around the country. He shares with other districts how to get onboard, as well as some of the issues to watch for along the way.
Sudie L. Williams TAG Academy
Special Services Parent Engagement and Community Outreach Department
Nancy Moseley Elementary School
Martha Turner Reilly Elementary School
Alex Sanger Preparatory School
Family and Community Engagement
Resource Centers
The 17 buses are funded by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. This is the first step in the district’s plan to eventually transition to all electric buses, something that Bryant Shaw, manager of the Energy and Sustainability Services Department, anticipates will happen in the not too distant future.