New Dallas ISD School Launching At Paul Quinn College

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Dallas ISD is moving forward with plans to launch another International Baccalaureate or ‘IB’ campus this fall.

The new global school will be located on the campus of Paul Quinn College.

“What you’re witnessing today is the school board addressing the inequities in southern Dallas,” said Dallas ISD District 5 Board Trustee Maxie Johnson.

The new school will launch in the fall with sixth and seventh grades and will then add a grade each year.

The academically rigorous curriculum will focus on the liberal arts, which will align perfectly, supporters say, with Paul Quinn.

“I envision people from other communities wanting to come and be a part of this,” said Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa, “with the rigorous instruction available right here in South Dallas.”

With board approval, the new school is expected to be named for southern sector activist and Friendship-West Baptist Church Senior Pastor Dr. Frederick Haynes, III.

“This for me is something that I cannot find words adequately to express my appreciation for,” said Pastor Haynes during a press briefing announcing the launch. Pastor Haynes is a long-time vocal champion of civil rights and education issues.

Friendship-West Baptist Church Senior Pastor Dr. Frederick Haynes, III

“When I was 14 years old, my father died my first day of high school,” shared Pastor Haynes. “Of course, I could have given up, I tried to give up. A loving teacher told me that I could be what I did not see that I could be, myself.”

While the opening of this new campus show that the district is making plans to move forward, the pandemic impacted present is also a big concern.

“Some kids have flourished. Many have not,” said Supt. Hinojosa. “So yes, that’s the next worry. We got them the infrastructure, we got them the connection, but now: so what? are they learning? That’s the next big worry.”

On Thursday, Jan. 28, the DISD board will vote on options to extend the school calendar and provide other support for struggling students.

“This is going to be an expensive plan. It’s going to cost us 100 million dollars over two years,” explained Supt. Hinojosa. “But if we don’t do it now, they won’t be ready for Paul Quinn. They won’t be ready for anything.”

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