Richardson | May 2026

Education

BY ISABELLA ZEFF

RISD secondary schools to end block schedules Richardson ISD will end block scheduling at its secondary schools and transition back to a traditional schedule next school year as part of district-wide budget cuts. RISD budget cuts

Ending block schedule: $11.1M Staff cuts: $5.73M Non-payroll expense reduction: $4.29M

Total: $25.51M

Jennie Bates, assistant superintendent for school leadership and superintendent support, said at the April 23 school board meeting that the district will save roughly $11.1 million by returning to a tradi- tional seven- or eight-period daily schedule at junior highs, middle schools and high schools. Under the block schedule, students took eight classes on an alternating schedule of four periods a day. “There’s no perfect schedule,” Superintendent Tabitha Branum said. “But our team would not bring this forward if we did not feel like we still absolutely could ... ensure strong outcomes for extracurricular and academic programs on our traditional schedule.” The specifics RISD middle schools and junior highs will transition from four 90-minute blocks on alternating

Richardson OKs health care college Casa Loma College, a non-profit health care college based out of Los Angeles, is on track to open in Richardson. The overview The college requested a special permit to open at 1202 Richardson Drive. Casa Loma offers accelerated hybrid programs for students to earn a health care degree in under two years, according to city documents.

Food/travel reduction: $2.75M Standardizing support staffing model: $1.64M

SOURCE: RICHARDSON ISD, COMMUNITY IMPACT

days to eight 45-minute periods every day. The new schedule will also add 10 minutes to the school day to accommodate for middle school construction and instructional minute needs. High school schedules will shift from eight classes in the block schedule to a daily schedule of seven 50-minute periods. Bates said the district will add an optional “zero hour” before school that high schoolers could use for fine arts, Career and Techni- cal Education courses and other opportunities.

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