Ribbon Cuttings Welcome Dallas ISD Students Home

Greeted by cheerleaders, the marching band, and the Liberty Belles drill team, Thomas Jefferson High School and Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy students were welcomed “home” at each school’s ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

The celebration took place on Saturday, Feb. 11, more than three years after the October 2019 tornado destroyed the former campuses. The leadership academy replaced Walnut Hill Elementary and Cary Middle Schools.

“That was back when I was chief of schools here for Dallas Independent School District,” Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said after a video documenting the tornado’s aftermath opened the Thomas Jefferson ceremony. “And just listening makes me emotional.”

Elizalde went on to recount how she heard about the tornado from chief operating officer David Bates, who video called her on-site at each campus to show her the damage immediately after it hit.

“He said, ‘It’s gone,’” she said. “‘It’s totally gone.’ … We [kept] saying to ourselves repeatedly, ‘Thank God we didn’t have kids in school that day.’”

Following Elizalde, many students, teachers, alumni, and others within the community spoke about their own experiences and feelings when they heard the news to now seeing the new campuses, reiterating the ceremony’s message of “Welcome home.”

“We have [had] some challenging times,” Walnut Hill teacher Alma Pandya said. “But we [also] had some wonderful times in the [temporary] school. And because of that, I think my students are going to be better [people]. They’re very resilient. … I have learned that sometimes pruning is necessary in life so we can see fruit, and now we have our new school.”

In addition to welcoming the community to the campuses, the ceremonies were dedicated to thanking those involved in the rebuilding and highlighting what the new campuses mean.

“This [Thomas Jefferson High School] building is a down payment on opportunities that [are] to come,” Dallas ISD District 8 trustee Joe Carreon said. “The [Walnut Hill] building across the way is a down payment on opportunities to come. The career institute that we will open in August is a down payment on opportunities that [are] to come.”

The ceremonies also featured performances from the Walnut Hill choir, which performed “Where Our Dreams Begin” at the Thomas Jefferson ceremony and “Thankful” and “Hold on to Your Dream” at the Walnut Hill ceremony. A group of eighth-grade students also performed “We’re All in This Together” at the leadership academy ceremony.

“We are indeed all in this together,” Dallas Education Foundation board member Leonor Marquez said after the performance. 

Marquez, along with Dallas Education Foundation board member Regina Montoya at the Thomas Jefferson ceremony, relayed a message from former First Lady Laura Bush, who provided funding through her foundation to restore each campus’ library.

“I am thrilled that the Laura Bush Foundation can help rebuild your school library collection after the devastating tornadoes of October 2019,” Bush’s message read. “My hope is that these new books and materials will inspire a love of learning and spark creativity and innovation in students for years to come.”

To highlight student achievement, fifth grader Ella Atkins recited the speech that landed her as a finalist in the MLK Jr. Oratory competition at the Walnut Hill ceremony. 

“Many efforts and actions are being taken by voting, continuing to educate ourselves, and engaging in activism,” Atkins said. “But above all these actions, we cannot lose hope. That’s where it all begins. Just like Dr. King began with a dream.”