Dallas ISD
Dallas ISD is a public school district based in Dallas, Texas, serving 139,802 students in 239 schools. By enrollment it ranks #2 of the 510 Texas districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 100% of them. Its schools average 585 students each, about the same as the Texas median of 550. Its superintendent is Stephanie Elizalde. It spends about $12,240 per student on day-to-day operations, 10% more than the Texas median. It has roughly 14.9 students per teacher. We've matched 23 news stories to the district.
How Dallas compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Dallas | Texas median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $12,240 | $11,095 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $6,771 | $6,638 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $2.42 billion | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $2.21 billion | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 9,391 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 20,295 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 14.9 | 14.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 342 | 402 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Texas median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Stephanie Elizalde
Source: Texas Education Agency, AskTED, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
23 stories matchedDallas ISD Agrees to $1 Million Settlement Over Unreported Teacher Misconduct Allegations
Dallas ISD elementary, middle schools rank best in Texas
Dallas ISD To Pay $1 Million for ‘Passing the Trash’
Dallas ISD to pay $1 million over failure to report teacher misconduct
Dallas ISD to pay $1 million settlement tied to former teacher accused of sexual abuse
Dallas ISD to pay $1 million after alleged mishandling of teacher sexual misconduct
Dallas ISD Reaches $1 Million Teacher Reporting Settlement
Federal Prosecutors To Announce Dallas ISD Settlement In School Safety Investigation
Federal prosecutors set to announce settlement with Dallas ISD as part of Project Safe Schools
'It was so heartbreaking': Dallas ISD pulls library books for review amid pressure from Austin
Five reasons to attend Discover Dallas ISD
Dallas School District eyes long-term debt to deal with deficit
Dallas ISD teacher's aide murder case ends with 20-year prison sentence
Dallas ISD students take flight with hands-on aviation training
Dallas ISD students train to become pilots through aviation program
Dallas School District audit shows growing shortfall
Update from Sarah Weinberg: First-of-its-kind Dallas ISD partnership with Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas ISD food pantries are serving more families as SNAP cuts take hold.
Suspected gas leak prompts evacuation of Dallas ISD high school
Dallas ISD to host largest school fair in North Texas
Opinion: In Dallas Schools, Community Engagement Isn’t Outreach, It’s Infrastructure
Peer districts in Texas
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston ISDHouston | 176,727 | 274 | $10,446 | 16.1 | #1 |
| Dallas ISDDallas · this district | 139,802 | 239 | $12,240 | 14.9 | #2 |
| Cypress-Fairbanks ISDCypress | 117,927 | 94 | $10,081 | 15.4 | #3 |
| Northside ISDSan Antonio | 100,208 | 128 | $9,751 | 14.2 | #4 |
| Katy ISDKaty | 96,111 | 79 | $10,299 | 13.9 | #5 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County Public SchoolsRockville, MD | 159,181 | $17,753 | 13.8 |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg SchoolsCharlotte, NC | 147,299 | $10,534 | 16.5 |
| Prince George's County Public SchoolsUpper Marlboro, MD | 132,123 | $17,155 | 14.1 |
| Duval County Public SchoolsJacksonville, FL | 130,054 | $10,097 | 19.1 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-tx-dallas-isd