Lake Dallas ISD highlights parent and community engagement gains in strategic-plan update

Denise Kennedy, director of student initiatives, briefed the board Nov. 17 on Priority 3 of the Lake Dallas ISD strategic plan, which focuses on parent, family and community engagement (Objective 3.2).

Kennedy described a range of events and participation metrics the district tracked this semester: a literacy night with 35 attendees, a Corinth Elementary STEAM night with 75 attendees, an annual community breakfast of nearly 200 participants, and a reported 200 percent increase in attendance at the Falcon Family Night compared with the prior year. She said Donuts with Dads events across the three elementary campuses drew more than 1,100 people (about 59 percent of elementary dads, granddads and uncles), and the fall festival attracted more than 500 attendees (about 74 percent of that campus population).

Kennedy also summarized other engagement activities, including a CTE Building ribbon cutting, LDHS FAFSA night serving about 20 families, Lake Dallas Night at the Texas Rangers (120 tickets), numerous band and choir performances, theater events with more than 500 attendees across three nights, and a first-responder night that drew approximately 750 spectators.

"This is what we have on the calendar moving forward,—" Kennedy said, describing dozens of scheduled community and student events and emphasizing that the listed activities are "just the tip of the iceberg." Board members praised the outreach and asked no substantive questions beyond thanks and encouragement.