During February, Dallas ISD staff will be trying to contact students and parents as part of “Operation Comeback: Student Re-Engagement” to help students get back to school.

The district will be using text, email and phone calls to try to reach families, according to The Hub. If DISD is unable to get in touch with families through those methods, staff will perform contact-free home visits and find out what resources students need to stay in school.

“The idea is to connect with families so we know what obstacles they face and what we can do to help,” says Orlando Riddick, the acting chief of School Leadership, in the Hub article.

DISD staff will ask questions to identify potential barriers to school attendance:

  • Do you have an internet connection?
  • Do you need a hotspot?
  • Do you have technology (digital devices)?
  • Does your student know how to log in?
  • How can we support your student’s attendance, either in person or virtually?

Staff will provide families with information about how to access meals, a hotspot or uniforms and how to keep up with students’ attendance and grades. They will also answer questions about transportation and how to get in touch with the district online through the Let’s Talk portal.

Riddick also says he knows some students are working to help provide for their families, and some are encountering challenges that make attending school on a regular basis difficult.

The Evening Academy in Districtwide Student Initiatives may be an option for students who work.

Staff will visit homes during daylight hours on weekdays. Evening teams will be in the field on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights and will make phone calls from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The district teams will also visit homes every Saturday this month.

In addition, DISD is sending postcards to students who have many absences. The notes, first sent to high-school students and later to those in middle and elementary school, will explain how students can reengage or reenroll.