27 Jul 2005
Hinojosa: 'We feel obliged and duty-bound to honor' senior class' request to remain together
DALLAS—Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District seniors who will attend school in the Dallas Independent School District beginning Aug. 15, will be assigned to South Oak Cliff High School in order to keep the Wilmer-Hutchins High School senior class together a final year, DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announced Wednesday.
WHISD students will be assigned to 24 other DISD schools, including David W. Carter, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and A. Maceo Smith high schools. There are about 2,700 students who attended WHISD schools during the 2004-05 school year.
"We have carefully considered the options available to the district and received input from a number of Wilmer-Hutchins High School seniors and their parents. Their overwhelming sentiment is that the senior class should remain together for the 2005-06 school year," Hinojosa said. "As a result of this input, we feel obliged and duty-bound to honor their request and will assign the entire WHISD senior class to South Oak Cliff High School."
There had been discussions over the weekend about sending students to Madison High School in DISD; however, 61 percent of the WHISD seniors surveyed said they did not want to attend Madison, with 62 percent of their parents agreeing they also did not want their students to attend Madison.
From the calls made by DISD on Tuesday, 98 percent of WHISD seniors surveyed said they desired to remain together as a class, with 95 percent of their parents supporting their opinion. A total of 26 percent of seniors were reached via telephone, with another 28 percent who could not be reached because of invalid phone numbers.
High School Assignments
Of the high schools to be used, 77 students will be assigned to Carter High School, raising the school's utilization to 92 percent capacity; 257 students will be assigned to Roosevelt High School, raising the school's utilization to 57 percent capacity; 150 students will be assigned to Smith High School, raising the school's utilization to 75 percent capacity; and a total of 203 students will be assigned to South Oak Cliff High School, raising the school's utilization to 79 percent capacity.
Middle School Assignments
Of the middle schools to be used, 53 will be added to D.A. Hulcy, raising its utilization to 46 percent capacity; 154 to Oliver Wendell Holmes, raising its utilization to 62 percent capacity; 128 to Sarah Zumwalt, raising its utilization to 80 percent capacity, and 28 to Boude Storey, raising its utilization to 46 percent capacity.
Elementary School Assignments
Of the elementary schools to be used, 78 will be assigned to Birdie Alexander, raising its utilization to 89 percent capacity; 53 to Umphrey Lee, raising its utilization to 71 percent capacity; 94 to John Neely Bryan, raising its utilization to 70 percent capacity; 66 to B.F. Darrell, raising its utilization to 87 percent capacity; 42 to Martin Weiss, raising its utilization to 94 percent capacity; 174 to W.W. Bushman, raising its utilization to 87 percent; 13 to Clara Oliver, raising its utilization to 38 percent capacity; 104 to N.W. Harllee, raising its utilization to 69 percent capacity; 219 to Albert Sidney Johnston, raising its utilization to 84 percent capacity; 113 to William B. Miller, raising its utilization to 56 percent capacity; 130 to Roger Q. Mills, raising its utilization to 94 percent capacity; 168 to J.P. Starks, raising its utilization to 71 percent capacity; 88 to Whitney M. Young Jr., raising its utilization to 77 percent capacity; 67 to Harrell Budd, raising its utilization to 96 percent capacity; 86 to J.N. Ervin, raising its utilization to 85 percent; 18 to T.D. Marshall, raising its utilization to 74 percent capacity; and 41 to Lisbon, raising its utilization to 91 percent capacity.
DISD will begin sending letters to WHISD students Wednesday afternoon so that all students will have received notifications by the coming weekend. Information about attendance assignments also are being transmitted to Dallas County Schools to develop transportation logistics.
"We are working with Dallas County Schools to provide them information about where students from WHISD will attend school in DISD so they may plan accordingly," Hinojosa said. "They have assured us they will have information for students and parents in short order."
The superintendent said Wednesday that DISD administrators will continue to work around the clock to resolve logistics issues associated with getting the WHISD students incorporated into the district before school begins on Aug. 15 without losing sight of DISD's own students.
"There are many details to consider—textbooks, budget adjustments, teacher allocations, furniture and many, many more topics," Hinojosa said. "We are working hard to roll out the red carpet to WHISD students and make them feel welcome in our district. At the same time, we are burning the midnight oil to rollout the same red carpet for the 158,000 students who already live in our district."
Notifications to parents about federally-mandated transfer opportunities associated with NCLB will be mailed out Friday. DISD officials will be meeting with the principals who will be receiving WHISD students Wednesday afternoon in order to provide information and receive input.