I am so honored and proud to serve the Wilmer-Hutchins area of Dallas ISD as your trustee for District 5. Since the closing of Wilmer-Hutchins ISD, I have represented the interests of the various communities. We held many community meetings to hear your thoughts, ideas, and concerns about the schools in your community.

With your support of the 2008 bond program, we are able to open three schools in the area; Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School, Kennedy-Curry Middle School, and Wilmer-Hutchins High School. The Eagle Stadium will also reopen for athletic events. All of the projects will be ready by August 2011.

The two-story, 103,780 sq. ft. Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School is located at 7475 J.J. Lemmons Road, Dallas, TX 75241. It sits on 9.5 acres, next to the Wilmer-Hutchins High School. It will have a capacity of 809 students for grade levels K-5 and 34 classrooms.

The school for District 5 students will be an environmentally sustainable facility. It will utilize the geothermal properties to improve energy performance and provide heating and cooling needs with 200 geothermal wells. This method will take measures to reduce water consumption in the building and landscaping. We are using durable and long life-cycle building materials, extensive use of low VOC emitting building products such as paints, adhesives and flooring. With operable window and natural day lighting in each classroom, students will see the effects of efficient use of our environment.

Other unique design features include an entrance canopy and two-story glass lobby walls that will provide a grand entry portal for students and parents arriving into the lobby space. It will have the latest computer technology campus wide with a concentration in the Media Center and Computer Room. This will help the students in the Wilmer-Hutchins Area of District 5 to be ready for college or the workforce upon graduation.

This facility will provide dedicated and secure after-hours spaces consisting of the dining area, gymnasium and multi-purpose room/auditorium, along with ample restrooms, that can be utilized for community service activities. The expansion of J.J. Lemmon Road at the front of the campus will allow for a bus loop, canopies and concrete benches. The campus will contain two playgrounds, a basketball court and bicycle rack.

Here is an artisit rendition of the Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School.

The project manager is Parsons. The architect is KAI Texas. The contractor is Ratcliff Constructors. For more information about Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School construction, click here.

I promised them that I would work hard to make their wishes come true. On Thursday, June 24, the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees voted to retain the name of the high schools; Wilmer-Hutchins High School. They also voted to keep the new elementary school named Wilmer-Hutchins Elementary School, as it had done last year. The Kennedy-Curry Middle School will continue with the same name as well. All three schools in the Wilmer-Hutchins area will open in August 2011. It will be a homegoing of sorts for the children of the communities.

I am proud to serve the Wilmer-Hutchins area. When the schools open, I look forward to high student achievement, greater parent involvement, and grand community support.