DALLAS (KRLD) - The Dallas ISD is closing Walnut Hill Elementary School, Cary Middle School, and Thomas Jefferson High School for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year due to damage from Sunday night's tornado. Students at those schools will be re-located to other available campuses within the district starting on Wednesday.
"Walnut Hill Elementary...is severely damaged. Insurance adjustors have been there and are basically telling us it's going to be a total loss," said Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa. "What we're going to do in the immediate future is move those students to Tom Field Elementary School." That campus at 2151 Royal Lane in Dallas was closed last year. District staffers have been working to ensure it is ready for use and students from Walnut Hill Elementary will report there on Wednesday.
Students at Cary Middle School will be divided between existing schools with available capacity. "It's probably the most damaged," said Dr. Hinojosa. "I would anticipate that it would also be a total loss. We don't have a location where we can send all of the students." He is proposing to send some students to Medrano Middle School and others Franklin Middle School. That change would also start on Wednesday. DISD officials are working to notify parents about which students will be attending class at which school.
"Thomas Jefferson High School also received significant damage," Dr. Hinojosa said. While the building could be restored, he said, "there is no way that school can be inhabited between now and August." The 1,800 students at Thomas Jefferson will report to the former Thomas Edison Middle School campus at 2940 Singleton Boulevard in Dallas. The Dallas ISD had been using that building as a staff training and office facility. Those functions will be re-located. The change will be effective on Wednesday.
Students at several other schools will be out tomorrow and report to alternate locations later this week. Cigarroa Elementary and Burnet Elementary both received extensive damage. Those students will report to the Loos Field House at 3815 Spring Valley Road in Addison on Wednesday. Superintendent Hinojosa hopes students at both of those schools will be able to return to their home campuses on Monday, October 28th. Pershing Elementary will be closed on Tuesday. District officials hope to gain access to the building on Tuesday and will make a decision about Wednesday classes at that time. It's possible that Pershing students will also be asked to report to the Loos Field House on Wednesday.