I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Lipscomb Elementary’s new principal, Mr. Isaiah Carter, and discuss the state of the school, the exciting plans he and the school have for the future and points of pride that set Lipscomb apart from other East Dallas schools. Lipscomb was built in 1921 and is one of the most historic schools in all of Dallas ISD. At the request of many students and former students who lived in the area, the school was named for William Lipscomb, a Tennessee native who was principal of Dallas High School from 1984 until his death in 1899. In a tribute to his death, the first principal of Lipscomb was his widowed wife, Virginia Lipscomb. She remained at the school until her retirement in 1936. The school was originally an intermediate school, with more than 600 students attending grades kindergarten through seventh grade.
Lipscomb has recently opened the school for transfers, and they tout three things that set them apart from other schools in the area. They are a dual language campus, they have a pre-K program (which also offers the dual language program) and they are International Baccalaureate (or IB) school. Fun fact: Dallas ISD is home to eleven authorized IB schools and four additional schools are candidates for the program. Lipscomb is one of five elementary schools in the district that implement the IB program! Their application window for transfer students closes on June 31st of 2025, and the information for how to apply and Discover Dallas ISD is here.
Currently, the school serves approx. 395 students. As Mr. Carter emphasizes, 2025 and beyond represents a “new chapter for Lipscomb”. They are about to undergo renovations to restore outdated aspects of the interior spaces and upgrade exterior features as well. Thanks to the recent 2020 Dallas ISD Bond, the school will receive a brand-new playground, new basketball court, a new building addition and many more upgrades inside as well. Another upcoming exciting project is the partnership with Disney Musical in Schools. Lipscomb was one of only five schools from Dallas ISD and Richardson ISD to participate in this musical program. Over the next three years, the school with bring the art of musical theatre to the students, faculty, staff and community. They aim to build a sustainable theatre arts program that will become a hallmark of pride for Lipscomb! Click here to read more about Disney Musical in Schools.
On a side note, I’m proud to serve on the Lipscomb SBDM Committee as a community member at large. I serve in a handful of schools that belong to the Woodrow Willson High School feeder pattern program. I’ve gotten to know Principal Carter better through this capacity and am really appreciative of him taking the time to sit down and chat with me about the exciting future at Lipscomb Elementary! Go Lions!!