Concern about school security has grown among parents of students at a Dallas Independent School District elementary school.
Parents said they are worried after a homeless person allegedly tried to lure a child and another homeless individual tried to make their way inside an elementary school.
On Monday afternoon, hours before student pickup, a group of moms stood outside Arcadia Park Elementary School, saying they are keeping an eye on who approached the campus.
“You have the squatters everywhere around the school, literally,” said one parent named Jay, whose daughter is a sixth grader at Arcadia Park.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
A black fence separates the back of the school from a wooded area where homeless people allegedly set up tents. According to Jay’s daughter, at times, she has been able to spot the tents from the school playground.
“That’s concerning to me because it's, like, they're so close,” Jay said. “What is it stopping them from jumping the fence?”
Just across the street from the school, piles of trash surround a home that neighbors said is frequented by squatters.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“Since they started to clean up the freeway, they're starting to push them this way more. So, trash, trash, lots of trash,” Jay said. “During the night, yes, I see them with their grocery carts full of their stuff, and they cut through the school parking lot, and they go through the back of the dumpsters of the library.”
According to the Dallas Police Department, they have not responded to any calls for loitering at that home. However, parents said the issues are making their way onto campus.
“We did report it when we had a homeless guy that came, and he tried to go inside the school,” Daily Ochoa said. Ochoa is a mom of three students at Arcadia Park Elementary. She claims her children were recently approached by a homeless individual in the area.
“I think it was Wednesday when (my twins) … told me that the homeless guy that lives in the back, that he was staring at them and that he told them to go where he was,” Ochoa said.
Ochoa said she reported the incident to the school however, does not feel like the school is doing enough.
Ochoa also commented on the security fencing in place.
“The gate that’s over there, it’s always open,” Ochoa said.
NBC 5's crew observed the gate remained open during and after school hours on Monday.
“(The gate) is really small, like, it's not tall. So (anyone) can easily jump over it. The playground is probably, like, six feet from where the gate is,” Ochoa said.
NBC 5 asked Dallas ISD about each of the claims made by parents as well as concerns about the open gate.
In an email, the school district issued a response that states, “We are aware of the concerns that are being brought forward. Please know that safety is always top of mind, and we have been working with parents and community members to ensure that any potential concerns are addressed. We take all claims seriously and are continuing to review each report. We are committed to working with our community to ensure that our campus remains a safe learning environment.”
However, PTA moms’ volunteer shifts were canceled Monday morning without reason.
In Spanish, Maria Banda, Arcadia Park Elementary PTA president, told NBC 5 she found out after another volunteer forwarded the email. Banda said she has brought up several of these issues to the school and kept other parents informed.
According to Banda, she was not given a reason as to why her shift was canceled. She fears it could be retaliation.
Dallas ISD has not responded as to why the PTA volunteer shifts were canceled.
Parents are hopeful they will get answers later this week.
“We keep pressuring and pressuring (the school) and we haven't really seen any results,” Jay said.
Parents are encouraged to attend Thursday’s PTA meeting that will begin at 6 p.m. inside Arcadia Park Elementary located at 1300 N Justin Avenue.
