Dallas ISD

Any parent will agree — finding the perfect learning environment for your student can be difficult. And in many places, finding a public school option that fits the bill can be quite the task.

But welcome to Dallas, where there are plenty of options close to home, and even more if you don’t mind a little commute, thanks to open enrollment policies and a focus on school choice.

Choose from:

Magnet schools. Students test in, but the schools offer specialized instruction (depending on which school you’re going to) in everything from leadership to arts education and more.

Single-gender schools. These schools address the different learning styles and the occasional need for different teaching techniques that can be present in different genders.

Transformation schools. Transformational schools center around innovative concepts like STEAM education, arts education, Montessori, project-based learning, dual language, hybrid schools, and more.

Neighborhood schools. These schools can be found right in your neighborhood, and often offer several programs that appeal to learners, from dual language immersion to personalized learning to International Baccalaureate to early college.

Career institutes. Career institutes offer high school students the opportunity to learn skills and certifications in various career paths, such as cyber security, construction, and aviation.

P-Tech and early college academies. Through P-Tech and early college programs, students can graduate high school with 60 hours of college credits behind them.

The application process typically begins in November, and the application window usually closes at the end of January. Families are notified of acceptance in March. Sometimes, the district will open up a second round of applications, so keep an eye on the Dallas ISD social media accounts (@dallasschools on Twitter, @DallasISD on Facebook, and @DallasISD on Instagram) in the early spring to find out quickly when that happens.