Students return to newly renovated South Oak Cliff High School
DALLAS - South Oak Cliff High School students received one more gift as they returned from their holiday break.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this will be the first time these young people enjoy this building. Let’s welcome them in right away,” school administrators said as students returned to a newly renovated building on Tuesday.
The campus renovations may not have happened if it were not for the students who walked out of class more than four years ago following a gas leak.
The leak was just part of the problems that led to unhealthy conditions. Activists joined students and forced Dallas ISD to begin and now finally complete a $62 million renovation.
“It was eye-opening that we as students got something done. You know, we were students at the time. So us as students, us coming together, we got something done. We got people to listen to ourselves. Us standing out and standing up for ourselves, you know, we got us this school,” said Lizzett Godinez, who co-organized the walkout in 2015.
During the renovation project, classes were moved to the Village Fair Alternative School.