Trustee Edwin Flores: Happy Holidays, District 1

Thomas Jefferson High School construction is to be completed soon.

Happy Holidays District 1! As you read this, I hope you are enjoying the opportunity to spend time with your loved ones, reflect on this year’s opportunities and challenges, and look forward to what 2023 will bring to us. And let me tell you, it will be a year full of exciting things for our district.

First, I would like to celebrate the Teachers of the Year at our District 1 campuses. Their hard work and perseverance are an inspiration for their peers and an example for their students. Thank you, Kali Coffey, Griselda Jimenez, Carol Booth, Leonardo Painevilo, Claudia Bricker, Candace Smith, Evelyn Horna, Ira Wilson, Dionne Bryant, Anavictoria Braun, Brandon Barber, Ivan Medina, Therese Blanks-Butler, Katherine Green, Carmen Guevara, Pedro Bear, Laura Lyle, and Rosalina Martinez.

Next, we are very excited to announce that our Thomas Jefferson High School and Walnut Hills International Academy students will soon return home more than two years after the Oct. 19 tornados severely damaged their campuses. We are excited about the possibilities for our students on their new campus.

The reopening of Thomas Jefferson High School and Walnut Hills International Academy speaks to the great trust our community has put in Dallas ISD. Each bond gets us closer to our campuses mirroring the quality of our facilities with the teaching in every neighborhood school, to give our students a level playing field to learn. For decades these schools will be a place students want to attend, just like many other newly renovated or replacement schools in Dallas ISD.

As we get closer to that date, we are planning to host a community celebration and a ribbon cutting ceremony for both schools. Be on the lookout for more details!

Applications for choice and magnet programs are open through January

Dallas ISD is accepting applications for its choice programs, and the application window will continue open through January. Now more than ever, Dallas ISD families have a wider variety of options, with over 100 choice schools and programs offered in our neighborhood and choice schools. For more information on our academic offerings, please visit www.dallasisd.org/discover for English or www.dallasisd.org/dallasisdesparati for Spanish.

Meals will be available during the Christmas break

Finally, from Thursday, Dec. 22, through Friday, Jan. 6, Dallas ISD will be closed for our Christmas break. However, to ensure that all our students have access to nutritious food during this time, some schools will open for a few days to provide free meals for children younger than 18 and students up to 21 with disabilities.

To learn more about the dates and the list of participating schools, visit www.dallasisd.org/FCNS.

Stay up-to-date with district news by following us on social media @Dallasisd and @dallasisdEspanol.