By TX3DNews Staff | April 19, 2025
Four days after gunfire once again shattered the halls of Wilmer-Hutchins High School, the students are still home, the suspect is in custody, and the questions are louder than ever. But the answers? Those remain hard to find—especially from the people elected to provide them.
On April 15, a 17-year-old student allegedly opened fire inside the Dallas ISD high school, injuring four classmates. The shooting occurred nearly one year to the day after another student was shot in the same building’s parking lot. Despite new security protocols like clear backpacks and metal detectors, the gun still got in—and lives were once again changed.
The Vulnerability No One Wants to Admit
According to police, the shooter was let into the building by another student, bypassing all the district’s security measures. That chilling detail raises new concerns about the limits of school safety infrastructure and how even well-intentioned protocols can fall apart when human behavior isn’t accounted for.
Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde has since suspended classes and brought in grief counselors, stating publicly that student safety remains DISD’s top priority. But in communities like Wilmer, where school shootings are starting to feel like recurring trauma rather than isolated tragedies, parents want more than promises—they want change.
The Illusion of Choice
Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s voucher program—officially known as the Education Savings Account initiative—offers around $10,000 per year for families to put toward private school tuition. The idea, according to Abbott, is to “empower parents with choice.” And on the surface, Wilmer-Hutchins might seem like an ideal place to put that promise to the test. After all, what parent wouldn’t want the choice to send their child to a safer school?
But choice only matters if there’s actually something to choose from.
The truth is, Wilmer-Hutchins High School—situated in southern Dallas County—is surrounded by working-class neighborhoods, not elite private academies. There are few, if any, private schools nearby that could realistically accommodate an influx of public school students, much less provide transportation or specialized support services. Even with voucher money in hand, families in Wilmer would face serious hurdles:
- Tuition at most Dallas-area private high schools ranges from $12,000 to $15,000 or more
- Transportation is not included in the voucher program
- Selective admissions, testing requirements, and limited seats further shrink access
So where does that leave concerned parents looking for safer options? Most likely, right where they started—stuck with an underfunded public school, only now with fewer resources because some funds have been siphoned off in the name of “choice.”
Not Just Wilmer
This isn’t unique to southern Dallas. In TX-03, schools like Princeton High School and rural zones near Farmersville face similar structural traps. Princeton ISD, for example, has only one private K–12 school in city limits, and tuition costs average $10,500—not including fees, uniforms, or transportation. For lower-income families in these fast-growing suburbs, the math simply doesn’t work.
And while vouchers might draw headlines and applause at campaign rallies, they don’t address the fact that rural and lower-income suburban areas often lack viable private school options altogether. Instead, the voucher model ends up favoring families who already had access—or means—to move their kids.
Where Are Our Leaders?
So far, Governor Greg Abbott has issued a generic statement of support and pointed to state investments in school safety. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and Rep. Jasmine Crockett have also acknowledged the tragedy. But Rep. Keith Self (R-TX), who represents parts of the surrounding region, has remained silent.
Self has been vocal in support of school safety funding when linked to border security and the SAVE Act, but has offered no statement on the repeated shootings in Texas schools—including those just down the road.
Another Policy That Misses the Point
What happened at Wilmer-Hutchins isn’t just a tragedy—it’s a warning. Safety, equity, and meaningful school reform can’t come from slogans or opt-outs. They require investment in the schools we have, not just an escape hatch for the lucky few.
Until policymakers deal with the reality on the ground—in Wilmer, in Princeton, in every district that lacks options—these programs will do little to protect or uplift the students who need help most.
As lawmakers argue about culture wars and campaign slogans, many students are still afraid to go back to class. And unless something changes, April may bring more than just spring—it may bring another shooting anniversary.
— TX3DNews.com
Local. Factual. Your Voice in TX-03.