O.D. Wyatt 鈥� and the Fort Worth neighborhood around it 鈥� looks a lot different now than when the school opened in 1968.
Back then, the student population was mostly white. Today, it鈥檚 more than 50 percent Hispanic, and there鈥檚 a growing refugee population. Academically, the school has struggled. A new principal is trying to change students鈥� perceptions of Wyatt.
Ninth grader Quinten Hutchinson has heard all the things people say about his school 鈥� O.D. Wyatt.
鈥淭hem kids up there is bad and loud,鈥� they say.
He says that鈥檚 not true.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 because the reputation that they鈥檝e had for so long and 鈥檆ause the school is kind of old and the stuff that used to happen,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o when people hear [O.D. Wyatt], I think they just automatically just think of that.鈥�
The older kids at O.D. Wyatt talk about how this year is different, Quinten says.
Part of the reason? The new principal, Mario Layne. 鈥淲hen Mr. Layne came, he changed stuff,鈥� Quinten says. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 be on phones no more, 鈥檆ause last year you could be on phones in the classroom. And we got to wear IDs 鈥� we got to keep them on. So yeah, it鈥檚 changed, but it鈥檚 changed in a good way.鈥�
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