DALLAS — In October 2019, Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas was damaged by an EF-3 tornado. Cary Middle School and Walnut Hill Elementary School nearby were hit, too.
Since then, rebuilding has been underway. The new TJHS is now 330,000 square feet and still under construction. Parts of the old building are being refurbished, but new additions are what sets it apart from the original 65-year-old building.
Once narrow hallways are now open and wide. Modern furniture and the latest technology are ordered and will be installed. Even details like signs and logos are thought through.
It includes a new gym, football field, computer science labs and media room.
Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde remembers the day of the tornado. She said, "It was very dark [...] and there was debris everywhere."
The tragedy forced families and school staff to adapt, moving students to temporary classrooms before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Current seniors, then freshman, will be able to close out their high school memories on the campus where they started.
"Now we're going to have a building that reflects the true heart of what is inside this brick and mortar," said Elizalde.
Over 40 acres, Thomas Jefferson High School will neighbor Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy. The old Cary Middle School and Walnut Hill Elementary School will be joined as a kindergarten through eighth-grade academy.