Important reminders for 2023-2024 school year

The 2023-2024 school year has almost arrived! Northwest ISD begins the new year on Wednesday, August 16, and we want students and families to be prepared with the following reminders.

In addition to the details listed below, be sure to visit www.nisdtx.org/backtoschool for important events and dates relevant to your child’s school. Expect additional communication from your school in the days ahead as we prepare for a great year.

Enrollment Ongoing
If you haven’t already enrolled your child and they will attend a Northwest ISD school, please do so immediately at www.nisdtx.org/enrollment. Late enrollments increase the possibility of class changes because of rising student numbers per grade level or course, which our district always attempts to minimize to the greatest extent possible. Several documents are required for enrollment, including proof of residency and immunization record updates, examples of which are available on the enrollment webpage.

School Start & Dismissal Times
As announced in winter 2022, Northwest ISD secondary schools will transition to new school start and dismissal times in the 2023-2024 school year. With this change, middle schools and high schools will now have 25 minutes between their respective start times and dismissal times, up from 10 minutes, to improve traffic flow in our communities. Elementary school times remain unchanged. These new times are posted on the “School Hours” page under “About Us” on the district website.

Schedule Availability & Teacher Assignments
Teachers of elementary students will contact families directly beginning August 11 to introduce themselves to parents and guardians. Please be aware this process may take a few days because of enrollment growth and changes to class numbers. This information will be available in Home Access Center beginning August 15. For families of secondary students, schedules will be available on August 12, also in Home Access Center.

Bus Route Details
Is your child riding the bus this year? Be sure to check in Home Access Center beginning August 7 for route information. Please remember to check again the week school starts, as routes may change because of our enrollment growth closer to the first day of school. Please do not rely on route information from 2022-2023, as boundary changes, new schools, bell schedules and enrollment increases have all affected routes.

Additionally, based on family feedback, Northwest ISD is transitioning to a new bus-tracking service! Beginning this year, SmartTags will be deployed for every bus, providing real-time tracking for parents and guardians. Please allow time for this rollout to begin, with additional communication arriving soon.

Back-to-School Event Dates
Schools will host many events prior to the start of the new year to welcome students and families! On August 14, for example, elementary schools will host Meet the Teacher events, while high schools will host Meet the Teams events, which are community rally-style gatherings to kick off the new school year. Dates and times for orientations at the secondary level vary by campus, though all take place prior to the start of school. Visit www.nisdtx.org/backtoschool for a list of events by campus.