K-12 Schools

by ddankesreiter@dallaschamber.org

Public Schools

  • Cedar Hill ISD provides the popular Collegiate Pathway, which culminates with scholars earning an Associate’s Degree as 12th graders. In their Early College High School at Cedar Hill High School students participate in advanced academics and extracurricular activities. Computer Programming, Fine Arts and Montessori are available at CHISD elementary schools. For more information visit https://www.chisd.net/
  • Dallas Independent School District—or Dallas ISD—is DFW’s largest school district with approximately 145,000 students. Dallas ISD hosts 27 magnet schools and academies, including several in Southern Dallas that have been nationally recognized. The School for the Talented and Gifted and the School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center in Dallas, are consistently recognized as being among the best high schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. In 2021, two Southern Dallas County schools were given the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School honor, recognized for their high performance and work to close achievement gaps.  The two Southern Dallas campuses are among 302 public and 23 private schools honored across the U.S. The schools were Dallas ISD’s Trinidad “Trini” Garza Early College High School at Mountain View and Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy. For more information visit https://www.dallasisd.org/
      • Dallas ISD has 16 designated P-TECH campuses in Southern Dallas. P-TECH stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High SchoolAs part of the program, students can choose a career pathway and take courses that provide the academic, technical, and workplace skills that are attractive to employers. Students have the potential to earn up to 60 credit hours or an associate degree in four to six years, along with industry certificates for their selected career pathway — opportunities that can potentially lead to paid internships and job placement after graduation all while pursuing their high school diploma.

        The success of Dallas ISD P-TECH schools is based largely on a powerful partnership between the public and private sectors to boost educational opportunities for young people. Companies like Amazon, American Airlines, Microsoft, and Pepsi/Frito Lay, are all industry partners. 

        For more information visit https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/41445
  • DeSoto ISD’s Collegiate Magnet Program offers DeSoto High School students (starting in 8th grade) can earn a high school diploma and an associate’s degree simultaneously through enrollment at Cedar Valley College and the Early College High School offers associates degree program for first-generation college-goers. The district offers selective enrollment where qualified, high-achieving, non-resident students can apply to DeSoto ISD as their district of choice.  For more information visit http://www.desotoisd.org/
  • Duncanville ISD is a district of innovation and has 8 campuses with 14 distinctions. Duncanville High School Collegiate Academy operates in partnership with Dallas College’s Mountain View campus and allows students to earn a high school diploma and an associate’s degree simultaneously. For more information visit https://www.duncanvilleisd.org/
  • Grand Prairie ISD is home to 4 schools ranked in the 2021 US News and World Report Ranking.  Students enrolled in GPISD embrace the unique freedom to select an educational path tailored to suit their own individual interests. GPISD takes schools and programs of choice a step further by aligning educational pathways beginning as early as Pre-kindergarten and continuing through graduation. Schools of Choice are stand-alone schools that provide unique learning opportunities for students seeking a nontraditional educational experience. As a TEA-designated District of Innovation, GPISD is afforded more local control over district operations in order to support innovation and local initiatives to improve educational outcomes for the benefit of students in the community. For more information visit https://www.gpisd.org/
  • Lancaster ISD was the first K-12 STEM district in the state of Texas. Since then, they have continuously advanced by creating a pipeline to area colleges and universities for STEM majors and careers.  With the addition of Lancaster STEM Early College High School, students take high school and college courses simultaneously allowing them to graduate with an associate’s degree. The district boasts a wide range of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in which students can obtain certifications including Audio/Visual Technology and Communications, Engineering, Health Science, and STEM and Transportation. For more information visit https://www.lancasterisd.org/Page/1
  • Mesquite ISD neighborhood elementary schools purposefully feed into middle and high schools that keep friends together throughout their school years. Innovative programming in early reading skills, technical and career skills as well as respected culinary arts, automotive and engineering programs all provide Mesquite students with an educational foundation that will serve them well into the future. For more information visit https://www.mesquiteisd.org/6

U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools in Southern Dallas County (2021)

District Boundaries

School districts in Southern Dallas are locally administered and independent of one another. District lines generally relate to city boundaries, but they are not exclusive to them. Districts in Southern Dallas County include: Cedar Hill, Dallas, DeSoto, Duncanville, Grand Prairie, Lancaster, and Mesquite.  Students attending Dallas ISD schools live in Balch Springs, Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Hutchins, Mesquite, Seagoville, and Wilmer.

Charter Schools

Private Schools

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