Campuses reopen after 2019 tornado

In October 2019, a tornado outbreak in north Texas forever changed two Dallas ISD schools. Thomas Jefferson High School and Walnut Hill Elementary were severely damaged by an EF-3 tornado, impacting where students would physically learn over the next few years.

After years of renovations, refurbishments and new additions, Thomas Jefferson High School and Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy are now complete, and students will return home to their respective schools to conclude the 2022-2023 school year.

The renovated Thomas Jefferson High School is approximately 330,000 square feet, with much of the existing 64-year-old building receiving refurbishments and additions. Students will have access to a new gym, athletic improvements, renovations of existing educational spaces, new computer science labs, a library, and administrative areas.

A new 118,000-square-foot pre-K to 8th-grade campus will replace the storm-damaged Walnut Hill Elementary and Cary Middle School. This new facility will include age-appropriate gym spaces, a library, a cafeteria, and multiple exterior learning spaces.

The opening of these campuses is the culmination of hard work and dedication from the entire Dallas ISD community.