Vickery Meadows, Dallas, Texas

Vickery Meadows (also known as Vickery Meadow) is a neighborhood of high-density apartments in north Dallas, Texas, United States. The area is the densest part of Dallas and is home to many immigrants and refugees.Young, Michael E. " [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/010806dnmetvickery.2a4bd98.html Hope blooms in Vickery Meadow] ." "The Dallas Morning News". Saturday January 7, 2006.] The Vickery Meadow Improvement District (VMID), a coalition of fifty area organizations, serves the Vickery Meadow area." [http://www.dallasisd.org/bond/bulletins/lowe_es_brochure_eng_std.pdf Jack Lowe, Sr. Elementary School] ." Brochure. "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 8, 2008.]

History

The apartments opened to provide housing for singles and couples who arrived to Dallas to look for jobs. In 1988 the U.S. federal government passed the Fair Housing Act, which, under most circumstances, prohibits apartment complexes from refusing children. This and a rental market recession caused a decrease in rent prices. Vickery Meadows's demographics changed throughout the 1990s as immigrants and refugees from Mexico, Central America, Bosnia, and parts of Africa moved into Vickery Meadows apartment complexes. Vickery Meadows did not have very much infrastructure intended for the new families. [" [http://www.ntxfoodbank.org/pdf/NTFB-Annual_Report_05.pdf 2002 Annual Report] ." "North Texas Food Bank". Accessed October 10, 2008.] In 1993 the Vickery Meadow Improvement District opened. [ [http://www.vickerymeadow.org/ Home page] ." "Vickery Meadow Improvement District". Accessed October 8, 2008.]

Government and infrastructure

Vickery Meadow is within the Northeast Division of the Dallas Police Department, which is headquartered at 9915 East Northwest Highway; sectors 210 and 240 cover portions of Vickery Meadow. [" [http://www.dallaspolice.net/content/11/73/uploads/NORTHEAST.jpgNortheast Division Sectors Beats Streets] ." "Dallas Police Department". Accessed October 10, 2008.] [" [http://northeast.dallaspolice.net/index.cfm?page_ID=5966&CFID=558109&CFTOKEN=27492755 Northeast Division] ." "Dallas Police Department". Accessed October 10, 2008.]

Fire Station 37 of the Dallas Fire Department, serving Vickery Meadow, opened in 1954. [" [http://dallasfirerescue.com/sta_list/sta_37.html DFD Station #37] ." "Dallas Fire Department". Accessed October 10, 2008.]

Vickery Meadows is located in District 114 of the Texas House of Representatives. As of 2008 Will Hartnett represents the district. [" [http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/pdf/districts/114.pdf House District 114] ." "Will Hartnett". Accessed October 11, 2008.] Vickery Meadows is within District 16 of the Texas Senate; as of 2008 John Carona represents that district. [" [http://www.senate.state.tx.us/Icons/Dist_Maps/Dist16_Map.pdf Senate District 16] " Map. "Senate of Texas". Accessed September 28, 2008.]

Vickery Meadows is in Texas's 32nd congressional district; as of 2008 Pete Sessions represents the district. [" [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/tx32_109.gifCongressional District 9] ." "National Atlas of the United States".]

Dallas Area Rapid Transit operates local public transportation.

Demographics

Around 2004 the Vickery Meadows area, consisting of 5.3 square miles of land, including open parkland, had around 53,000 by 2006. The core Vickery Meadows area, known as the Vickery Meadows Improvement District and consisting of 2.86 square miles, had 40,646 people. Of the population, 5,303 were under 6 years old, 3,932 were ages 6 through 13, 1,670 were ages 14-17, 27,555 were ages 18-64, and 2,186 were 65 or older. 39% of the people were considered to be in poverty. The average residency period was less than five years. Of the population about 40% were Hispanic or Latino, 32% were White, 22% were African-American, and 6% were other groups, mostly including immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The Vickery Meadow Improvement District said that the true Hispanic and Latino population may be higher due to illegal immigration.

In 2004 Vickery Meadows had 14,860 housing units, including 12,558 apartment units, 2,300 condominium units, and two single family houses. A total of 102 multi-family properties existed in Vickery Meadows, with the smallest having six housing units and the largest having 1,084 housing units.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Dallas Independent School District operates schools serving Vickery Meadows. [" [http://www.vickerymeadow.org/docs/Aerial%20Map.pdf Aerial Map] ." "Vickery Meadow Improvement District." Accessed October 8, 2008.]

Elementary schools serving the Vickery Meadows area include L. L. Hotchkiss Elementary School, Jack Lowe, Sr. Elementary School, Lee A. McShan, Jr. Elementary School, Dan D. Rogers Elementary School, and Jill Stone Elementary School at Vickery Meadow. [http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/depts/demo/schoolinfo/highzones2008/Conrad2008.pdf Fall 2008 Conrad High School Attendance Zone Grades 9-12] ." "Dallas Independent School District".] [http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/depts/demo/schoolinfo/highzones2008/Hillcrest2008.pdf Fall 2008 Hillcrest High School Attendance Zone Grades 9-12] ." "Dallas Independent School District".] Sam Tasby Middle School and Emmett J. Conrad High School serve most of Vickery Meadows. A small portion of Vickery Meadows is zoned to Benjamin Franklin Middle School and Hillcrest High School.

Stone includes two main buildings, with one including the administrative offices, the media center, and several classrooms and the other including common areas and public function facilities, and modular classroom buildings with individual telephone and toilet facilities.Spoor, Dana L. "Facing challenges." "American School & University" 71.4. December 1998. 16(3).] McShan, located on an 8.2 acre site, includes 89,666 square feet of space with 33 core classrooms, three special education classrooms, dedicated classrooms for art, science, and technology classes, a 400 seat auditorium, and a gymnasium." [http://www.dallasisd.org/bond/bulletins/McShanPampEng.pdf Lee A. McShan, Jr. Elementary School] " Brochure. "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 8, 2008.] Lowe has 89,000 square feet of space with 34 classrooms. Tasby has 166,000 square feet of space with 26 core classrooms. Tasby and Lowe share one campus and share several common areas; the two schools have their designated entrances." [http://www.dallasisd.org/bond/bulletins/tasby_es_brochure_eng_std.pdf Sam Tasby Middle School] " Brochure. "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 11, 2008.]

History of schools in Vickery Meadows

In the 1990s the student population increased, requiring the building of new campuses. The Vickery Meadow Improvement District and Dallas ISD worked together to build new campuses. In a 1998 journal article by "American School & University", Michael Brown, the executive director of Dallas ISD's facilities planning department said that the bond program did not have sufficient funds for a new school. The district took money from the general operating fund, which would be reimbursed after the following bond program would be passed. Vickery Meadows Elementary School opened as the first school in Vickery Meadows; in 2005 it was renamed Jill Stone Elementary School at Vickery Meadow. [" [http://www.dallasisd.org/schools/realtor_new.cfm?id_con=155 Jill Stone At Vickery Meadow Elementary School] ." "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 8, 2008.]

In the 2000s four apartment complexes were demolished to make room for four schools. In 2005 Lee McShan Elementary School, built with $12 million U.S. dollars as part of a 2002 bond program, opened with pre-Kindergarten through sixth grade students; the sixth grade would be transferred to the middle school the following year. In August 2006 Lowe Elementary, built with $12 million U.S. dollars, opened with kindergarten through fifth grade, relieving Hexter, L.L. Hotchkiss, Kramer, Robert E. Lee, Preston Hollow, and Dan D. Rogers elementary schools..Whitley, Glenna. "Tossed Out." "Dallas Observer". May 13, 2004. [http://www.dallasobserver.com/2004-05-13/news/tossed-out/ 1] .] During the same year Tasby and Conrad opened. Tasby, built with $20 million, relieved Franklin. The lot which Tasby and Lowe occupied formerly was the The Villas at Vickery, a retail and residential complex built in 1976. Prior to Tasby's and Conrad's openings, Benjamin Franklin Middle School and Hillcrest High School had the zoning for most of Vickery Meadows. [" [http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/depts/demo/schoolinfo/midzones/franklin2005.pdf Franklin Middle School] " 2005-2006 Map. "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 8, 2008.] [" [http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/depts/demo/schoolinfo/highzones/hillcrest2005.pdf Hillcrest High School] " 2005-2006 Map. "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 8, 2008.] Other portions were zoned to Bryan Adams High School and Hill Middle School. [" [http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/depts/demo/schoolinfo/highzones/adams2005.pdf Bryan Adams High School] " 2005-2006 Map. "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 8, 2008.] [" [http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/depts/demo/schoolinfo/midzones/hill2005.pdf Hill High School] " 2005-2006 Map. "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 8, 2008.] Prior to the opening of Lowe, Hexter and Lakewood elementary schools served sections of Vickery Meadows. [" [http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/depts/demo/schoolinfo/eszones/hexter2005.pdf Hexter Elementary School] " 2005-2006 Map. "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 8, 2008.] [" [http://www.dallasisd.org/inside_disd/depts/demo/schoolinfo/eszones/lakewood2005.pdf Lakewood Elementary School] " 2005-2006 Map. "Dallas Independent School District". Accessed October 8, 2008.]

Public libraries

The Skillman Southwestern Branch Library of the Dallas Public Library opened in 1996 at 5707 Skillman Street at Southwestern Boulevard, is south of and serves Vickery Meadow. [" [http://dallaslibrary.org/skillman.htm Skillman Southwestern Branch Library] ." "Dallas Public Library". Accessed October 10, 2008.]

Miscellaneous education

In 1997 Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church started the Vickery Meadow Learning Center (VMLC) as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. [" [http://www.phpc.org/templates/cusprestonhollow/details.asp?id=29712&PID=242860&Style= Vickery Meadow Learning Center] ." "Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church". Accessed October 8, 2008.] The program gained its own property in 1999 and established early education classes in 2002. [" [http://www.vmlc.org/about.asp About Us] ." "Vickery Meadow Learning Center". Accessed October 8, 2008.] As of 2008 the learning center, open to Vickery Meadow residents, offers English classes for adults and pre-Kindergarten children and citizenship classes for no charge. [" [http://www.vmlc.org/classes.asp Classes] ." "Vickery Meadow Learning Center". Accessed October 8, 2008.] [" [http://www.ascdallas.com/forms/PressReleaseVMLC.pdf Attorneys Serving the Community Benefits Vickery Meadow Learning Center in 2008] ." "Attorneys Serving the Community". Accessed October 9, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.vickerymeadow.org/ Vickery Meadow Improvement District]