George Peabody Elementary School is on the move so their current campus can undergo substantial work. Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD THE HUB
School is out for the summer! (at least for most schools). Congratulations to all the students, staff, parents, and community members who made this year such a success. The school board has been busy, and this month’s newsletter details all of the latest happenings below:
Dallas ISD District 7 Monthly Updates
Construction Updates: One item that’s come to my attention recently is the need for more frequent and consistent updates as it relates to the current Dallas ISD construction projects. I will begin sharing those here periodically to ensure the community is kept apprised of adjustments to timelines:
- George Peabody Elementary School: Demolition of existing building is still in progress and foundation updates are set to start in the coming week. Additionally, improvements continue to be made at the temporary relocation site with the playground being installed this month. The new Peabody Elementary Campus is still on track for opening in August 2024.
- Rosemont Upper Campus: This month, the Dallas ISD school board unanimously approved the selection of a new construction vendor. This vendor will be identified by August and this method of procurement should give the district more control over the timeline for the project. There have been discussions across the community about choosing between (1) relocating to another temporary site while construction is happening or (2) staying in the building and consistently moving around the construction. Ultimately, I will support Principal Barker’s recommendation and promise to do everything in my power to make sure any concerns and questions are answered in a consistent and timely manner.
Environmental Sustainability Update: Three years ago, Dallas ISD embarked on its mission to improve its environmental sustainability practices and save money in the process. I’m proud to say that Dallas ISD is a national leader in what this can look like for school districts. This year, we’ve achieved the following:
- 100% renewable energy usage, saving more than $1M annually.
- Received a $7M grant for an electric school bus pilot program.
- 29.5% decrease in landfill contributions.
- 42.5% decrease in water usage.
- 29.7% decrease in natural gas usage.
- 9.5% decrease in energy usage.
Upcoming Events:
- Board Meeting: 6 p.m., Thursday, June 22
- Last day for Intersession calendar schools: Friday, June 23
As always, if you have questions, thoughts or simply want to sit down and have a deeper conversation about anything Dallas ISD related, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have thoughts, ideas, questions, concerns, or simply want to say hello BenMackey@dallasisd.org.
Best,
Ben Mackey
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Dallas ISD Trustee
Ben Mackey, District 7
