The closing of a longstanding educational institution in Oak Cliff has opened the doors for another school to expand.
Parents, community members, and staff at Trinity Basin Preparatory’s (TBP) 10th Street Campus in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas announced they are looking forward to a new home for their campus beginning sometime in the 2023-2024 school year. Following Dallas City Council approval in January of 2022, TBP closed on the $10M acquisition of the existing 33,000 square foot Tyler Street Christian Academy (TSCA) campus located on five acres at 915 W. 9th Street in Dallas.
TBP has seven free public schools throughout Dallas/Fort Worth/Mesquite, serving over 4,200 students. Located in a North Oak Cliff neighborhood, the 10th Street campus serves PK-3 through 4th grade students. All students from the existing TBP 10th Street campus in Oak Cliff, as well as future students, will transition to the TSCA campus in the 2023-2024 school year following renovations and construction of a new facility to accommodate up to 900 students.
“We are thrilled to begin work on a fabulous new campus to replace the oldest of TBP’s campuses,” Superintendent Randy Shaffer said. “With an expansion, renovation, and addition of state of the art facilities, we look forward to our staff and students thriving in the upgraded space designed to meet their academic and social needs, and provide space for outstanding after school programming as well.”
As a district, 90% of TBP students come from economically disadvantaged families, 57% are English Language Learners, and 80% are classified by the Texas Education Agency as “at-risk.” While an exact timeline of the renovation is still in progress, TBP leadership is eager to provide a quality learning environment to area students.
“Trinity Basin Preparatory is always looking for ways to do more for our students and the communities we serve,” TBP’s Chief Development Officer Brandon Duck said. “We are grateful to redevelop an existing school facility in Oak Cliff to provide a new, high impact learning environment that students and staff will love.”
To support students, TBP partners with numerous non-profits through the DFW area to enhance student learning by providing services which include free after-school programming, music education, and athletic opportunities for its 4,200 students.
“We are excited about how this move will allow us to continue providing educational choice and strong academic supports for our students and families,” Chief Academic Officer Dr. Lesley Austin said. “This move will also allow TBP to grow our existing partnerships with Dallas Youth Sports and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Young Musician’s Program at our 10th Street Campus. Our renovation plans for the new campus include creating the same high impact learning environments we’ve built at our newest campuses and we look forward to seeing our 10th Street students thrive in the new space.”
Tyler Street Christian Academy has been a staple of the educational scene in Oak Cliff for nearly a half-century. However, its ongoing operation, already facing headwinds, was pushed past the point of recovery by the pandemic.
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A social media post on March 29 informed the community of the decision to shutter the school.
“On Friday, March 26, our faculty and families were informed that TSCA will close at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Enrollment decline, the need for major capital repairs, the cancellation of all our fundraising events, and the pandemic have combined to make continuing into our 50th year a financial impossibility.
“We are sad beyond our ability to express. We covet your prayers for our scholars, their families, and our faculty and staff, as they each must make the transition to a new school or place of employment. Thank you for the many ways you have partnered with us in serving our community over the last 49 years.”
