The TEA compiles annual data on four-year high school graduation rates for each school district across the state. It measures the percentage of students who graduate by their anticipated four-year graduation date. The data does not include graduates who took more than the average of four years to graduate, nor does it include students who unenroll for reasons other than dropping out. The most recent data, analyzing the 2023 graduating class, echoes the pains of budgeting shortfalls plaguing Dallas ISD.
Dallas ISD had a four-year graduation rate of 81.4%, the lowest within the county by 6.6% and the lowest of all major districts in the state. Overall, school districts within Dallas County had an average graduation rate of 92.4%. According to the Texas Tribune, the state average for high school seniors who received their diplomas on time for the class of 2023 was 90.3%, so in general, Dallas County high schools fare comparably well.
There is a correlation between students' socioeconomic level and class size and higher graduation rates. Sunnyvale ISD and Highland Park ISD graduated 141 and 559 seniors, respectively. Both districts had fewer than six seniors who did not receive their diplomas in 2023. On the other hand, Dallas ISD graduated 8,187 out of 10,062 students in the same year.
The average home price within the region Highland Park ISD serves is over $1 million, and Sunnyvale homes can easily reach seven figures. At the same time, 90% of students attending Dallas ISD schools are economically disadvantaged, according to a 2024 press release from the district.
Houston ISD, the only Texas district with more students than Dallas ISD, had 13,637 seniors in 2023, graduating 83% of that class. El Paso ISD and Austin ISD, with less than 5,000 seniors each, witnessed 84.1% and 90.9% graduation rates, respectively. Austin ISD has the highest graduation rate of any major city in Texas. Fort Worth ISD, with just over 5,500 seniors, had the closest graduation rate to Dallas ISD, with 81.7% of the senior class finishing within four years.
Here are the four-year graduation rates for Dallas County school districts from spring 2023:
14. Dallas ISD: 81.4%
13. DeSoto ISD: 88%
12. Cedar Hill ISD: 88.6%
11. Richardson ISD: 90.2%
10. Irving ISD: 90.5%
9. Grand Prairie ISD: 90.7%
7. (Tied) Duncanville ISD: 91.9%
7. (Tied) Mesquite ISD: 91.9%
6. Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD: 92%
5. Garland ISD: 93.5%
4. Lancaster ISD: 97.3%
3. Coppell ISD: 98.7%
2. Highland Park ISD: 99.1%
1. Sunnyvale ISD: 99.3%
Education Funding
Dallas ISD is operating under a current $186 million deficit caused by inflation, according to their announcement of their 2025 legislative priorities. Like many others, the district is hopeful that the Texas Legislature will finally increase the basic allotment. However, bills related to the issue have failed to pass during the last two sessions. Budget analysts for the Texas House of Representatives estimate that in order to recover losses from inflation, the basic allotment would need to increase by $7,950, or $1,790, by 2027.Budgeting has been a primary concern for Dallas ISD, and despite a total budget of $2.25 billion, providing for nearly 140,000 students at 240 schools proves challenging.
“Money will never be an excuse in Dallas ISD in terms of providing our students a safe, quality education,” said Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde in a press release.
