The Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff is one of hustle and bustle as of late. The restaurants and shopping venues stay busy from open to close since their openings over the past 5 years. The rise of Bishop Arts has been a shining light for the Oak Cliff community bringing positive press and word of mouth from miles. But what some my not know is there has been another shining light in the area, just one street off of Bishop Avenue that has been around for almost a century.
Nestled on Adams Avenue, between Melba Street and 9th, is John H. Reagan Elementary. Reagan Elementary has been servicing the students in the area since the early 1900’s. The original structure was on the grounds until the early 1980’s when a new building was built to replace the old. This is the building that still stands today. The students and families that have attended this school in the past and the ones here today are a wonderful group of people. They deserve to have the best education and facilities. Over the past decade, the campus has slowly started to look like one that is decades old though and in need of change. This year, the change arrived at Reagan and great things are happening.
With the start of new principal, Ruby Ramirez, Reagan Elementary has undergone some of the best changes this school has seen since its groundbreaking over 30 years ago. There have been benefits that businesses from the Bishop Arts community have put together to raise awareness of our students and facilities that have helped to start the beginnings of technology funding for new campus equipment. This past weekend, with the help of DISD, the Oak Cliff community, and our Reagan families the outside landscape of Reagan started to get a little more beautiful as well.
With all the bad press that DISD receives, at times it is hard to see the good that is happening daily. This year, the good is happening ten fold at Reagan. This past Saturday, “parents and staff came together by breaking ground together,” said Coach Eric Benson. Benson has taught at Reagan for 30 years where he has found a place in this community. Reagan families made him a part of their family, and he’s as much a support to them as they are to him. Reagan families have a way of doing that to you. There is a family sense that many do not find in other schools or communities. With all that went on this past Saturday, the beautification “helped get community involvement, outside of parental support, that was a great addition to enhance our districts core beliefs as well as our schools beliefs,” state Maddie Worley, Reagan’s Communities in Service Representative.
John H. Reagan is a wonderful school, full of bright shining faces, a staff that is dedicated, and families that are hardworking. Next time you are in the area, take a moment to hop one step over from Bishop to see and hear about all the great things that Reagan is doing and that are in store for the years to come.
Audrey Gagel
Art Teacher
John H Reagan