Update 102-year-old elementary school being demolished
Dallas Morning News
Tawnell D. Hobbs
Published August 2, 2011
Dallas ISD began demolishing O.M. Roberts Elementary School near Fair Park on Monday. A new campus will replace the 102-year-old building that officials said couldn’t meet the needs of students and faculty despite an upgrade.
BACKGROUND: Some Jubilee Park residents resisted attempts by the Dallas Independent School District to acquire their properties to build a new O.M. Roberts Elementary School on an expanded campus. The district ended up backing away from its initial plan and decided to rebuild the school on the original campus once the 102-year-old building is demolished – thus ending the need to seize more neighboring homes. The houses on the properties already acquired by DISD have been demolished, and the lots sit empty next to homes of residents who refused the district’s buyout offer.
WHAT’S NEW: Last week, Dallas ISD started demolishing the old O.M. Roberts Elementary School, which was built in 1909. Meanwhile, some residents are concerned that the tree-shaded properties that were acquired by DISD under the initial plan could be turned into parking lots.
DISD RESPONSE: School district officials are not yet ready to discuss what will happen with the acquired properties, which were fenced off last week. “We will be using that property for the school or for support of the school,” DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander said. “Exactly how we’re not prepared to talk about that yet.”
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