Demonstrators Overshadow DISD’s O.M. Roberts Elementary Event

Demonstrators overshadowed DISD with huge banners as ground was broken on the future home of the new 22 million dollar O.M. Roberts elementary – the centerpiece of a controversial DISD project.

In the meantime, DISD has still failed to give an answer as to why it spent $2.6 million of taxpayer money in 2005 to renovate the historical O.M. Roberts, only to demolish it in July of 2011.  The Dallas ISD Board voted to close it in January 2012, due to below enrollment numbers.

Folkloric dancers and speeches from politicians and dignitaries were drowned out by demonstrators who chanted “NO Parking lots in our community” For the last three years the residents have been engaged in defending their rights for freedom, property rights and the right to own their homes the American dream.

The nightmare began in 2009 when the residents in Jubilee Park received letters from DISD informing them that there was an interest in their properties and that DISD had eminent domain authority.  It was more like eminent domination as more letters followed along with telephone calls and personal visits threatening the use of eminent domain.

Unfortunately, some residents fell victim as they were elderly and others had difficulty translating the notices served by DISD’s counsel.  DISD told them that there was no need to obtain legal representation because they had no choice but to surrender their homes to DISD.

For the remaining families whose homes have been spared, the horror only continues., as DISD is busy making plans to transform its newly "acquired" property into parking lots and is placing them right in between the remaining homes creating a checker board community.   DISD opened three new elementary schools in August 2011 with the faculty parking and playgrounds right next to the schools — not across the street or between residential homes.

The residents sought to urge the district to honor their promises, and to look into other solutions that wouldn’t intrude into the community, but after phantom promises from Mayor Rawlings and DISD’s Board President Lew Blackburn the cold hard truth is that DISD wasn’t’ interested in their concerns.

The residents countered that the parking lot and geo-thermal fields will doom the community.  The additional traffic is not a safe decision for our students, environment or the community.

This is a blatant disregard to our rights as voters, taxpayers and property owners as well as to the community that economically supports the very school system DISD is supposed to be running said the residents.