Students

Safety drills

As part of the variety of measures being implemented throughout the district, schools will schedule and conduct four safety drills before Sept. 15 to ensure all students and staff know what to do in case of an emergency.

Clear and mesh backpacks

Secondary students will be required to use clear or mesh backpacks starting in 2022-2023 as recommended by the internal and external safety task forces. Dallas ISD has purchased and will distribute a free clear backpack for each secondary student before the start of the school year.

While the district acknowledges that clear or mesh backpacks alone will not eliminate safety concerns, this will allow school personnel to better monitor contents of student bags when entering the campus to ensure that prohibited items are not included among the students’ belongings. Clear or mesh backpacks will also speed up students entering the school at the beginning of the day because opening and inspecting every backpack may not be necessary. For more information about clear and mesh backpack, visit www.dallasisd.org/backpacks.

Reimagined discipline

During the 2021-2022 school year, Dallas ISD committed to improving an outdated and inequitable discipline system that did not provide enough support to students. The district ended most disciplinary suspensions, instead incorporating 52  “reset centers” in middle and high schools while still having any serious offenses go through the disciplinary alternative education program.

Reset centers focus on supporting each student and getting to the root cause of behavioral issues without students having to leave the school. The rates of students who were referred to a reset center again decreased considerably compared to repeat offenses under the previous discipline system.

Mental health support

Student mental health and well-being is a priority and a pillar of safety. Dallas ISD added mental health services and staff during the 2021-2022 school year to assist students. More than 40 additional mental health professionals were hired and assigned to schools. These clinicians provide social, emotional, and mental health services for students. Learn more about mental health resources for students.

Say Something Anonymous Reporting System

Safety requires a proactive approach to violence prevention. Dallas ISD students and staff have been trained on the use of the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, a research-based violence prevention program offered by Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit organization. It teaches the warning signs of potential violence or self-harm and provides students and staff with secure ways to share safety concerns through a mobile app, website, or phone call. To  learn more about the program, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/saysomething.

Campus Crime Stoppers

The district’s Campus Crime Stopper program offers rewards for reporting criminal and code of conduct violations and is a partnership between the Dallas ISD Police Department and the North Texas Crime Commission. Students, staff, parents and visitors can anonymously and securely report criminal and code of conduct violations to the Dallas ISD Police Department for investigation. If a tip results in disciplinary action or arrest, the board of the North Texas Crime Commission will determine the reward to be paid out. To make an anonymous report, visit https://www.dallasisd.org/crimestoppers