Save Boude Storey Middle School – Our History, Our Community, Our Future

As an alumnus of Boude Storey Middle School, this issue hits close to home. I am a proud third-generation Eagle, following in the footsteps of my family. Today, my son and niece also attend this school. Storey isn’t just another school to us. It is part of our family, our history, and our community. For generations of Oak Cliff families, Boude Storey has been a place where friendships are built, memories are made, and students are given the foundation to succeed.

Dallas ISD’s proposal to close Boude Storey deserves serious reconsideration. Storey holds a special place in Southern Oak Cliff as the first junior high school established in our community. It has served generations of students and families, and closing its doors would mean losing more than a school building. It would mean taking away a piece of our community’s history and disrupting the connections that families have built over the years.

We understand that academic performance and enrollment matter, but we also believe Storey deserves the opportunity to grow with the right resources, support, and investment. Storey has already shown improvement, moving from an F rating to a D and coming just one point short of earning a C. That improvement should not be overlooked. It should be a reason to continue investing in the school, not closing it. We have seen what is possible when students are given access to higher-quality resources, opportunities, and support. South Oak Cliff High School is an example of what a community school can become when people invest in its students and believe in its potential. Why shouldn’t Storey be given that same opportunity?

There are also serious concerns about how this closure would affect students and families beyond academics. Special education students who are already being bused to Boude Storey would now have to be rerouted to another campus. These students and their families have already adjusted to a school placement and transportation arrangements. Changing that again creates another disruption for children who often depend on consistency, familiarity, and routine.

Closing Storey would also leave a gap in the school zoning for our area. Where will our neighborhood children go? How far will they have to travel? What will happen to families who depend on having a middle school close to home? Moving students to other campuses may create overcrowding and take away the convenience and sense of community that comes with having a neighborhood school.

Another question that deserves an answer is: What happened to the bond funding that was supposed to be used toward building a new campus? Our community deserves transparency about those plans and an explanation of why closing Storey is now being considered instead of following through on the investment that was discussed.

We are not asking Dallas ISD to ignore the challenges Storey faces. We are asking the district to work with us to address them. Give the school the resources it needs, invest in its programs, strengthen academic support, build community partnerships, and create a plan that gives Storey a real chance to succeed. Alumni, parents, local businesses, and community leaders are willing to be part of that effort through fundraisers, partnerships, and continued involvement.

This is about more than enrollment numbers or a rating on a report card. These are our children, our families, and our neighborhood. We should not have to watch a historic community school close without first exhausting every opportunity to improve it.

I am proud to be a third-generation Eagle, and I want my son, my niece, and future generations to have the same opportunity to be part of the Storey legacy. We should be building up our schools and giving our children reasons to be proud of where they come from, not taking those opportunities away.

Please sign this petition and stand with us in keeping Boude Storey Middle School open. Let’s give Storey the investment, resources, and opportunity it deserves. Our history matters, our children matter, and our community matters. Once those doors close, we may never get that piece of Oak Cliff back.