About 80 people packed the school’s cafeteria Tuesday night for a question-and-answer session with district officials and school superintendent Robin Battershell who apologized to them all for the communication breakdown.
“Sometimes we get so involved with our jobs on a day-to-day basis that we fail to communicate ourselves properly,” said Battershell, who was not with the district when the decision to purchase the property took place.
A construction company recently demolished a home at 4110 Wren Road behind the school, which is in a residential area off Loop 363.
“The home is already demolished, so the decision to do anything with it is moot,” Battershell said.
District personnel did discuss the plans with the Parent Teacher Organization, after which plans to convert the house to classrooms was scrapped in favor of demolition.
“We had concerns with safety issues,” said former Cater PTO president Carla Valenta. “We went into the PTO meetings expressing those concerns, so I can’t say that I’m unhappy about the decision.”
Despite efforts to appease the people of the neighborhood, Tuesday night they expressed concern with the possibility of their property values going down, drainage problems and the possibility of noise pollution - and the fact they weren’t told of the district’s plans.
“We were never given notification,” said neighbor Gary Criswell, who lives off Eagle Road, which sits directly in front of the site. “The communication issue is really sad.
“I pay taxes, and I have no authority or say in anything,” he said. “I know that everyone else here would be upset too if they lived directly next to (the construction area).”
In answer to their questions about drainage, and the fact that the property sits over a major gas line, Max Cleaver, TISD executive director of planning and operations, said the district would hire a civil engineer before construction takes place.
On the noise issue, Battershell suggested fencing to alleviate noise concerns. Those options didn’t sit well with Criswell, who noted that the loop’s entrance will sit between two homes in the neighborhood.
“There are people whose bedroom windows are going to have buses running past them every morning and afternoon,” said Criswell. “That’s not fair. It’s just not right.”
“Buses are going to make noise, I don’t know what to say, that’s just the way it is,” Battershell said.
Cater PTO president-elect Chaundra Mitchan, who has two students attending the school, said she sympathized with neighborhood concerns, although she felt the district made the right decision.
“I grew up in this neighborhood, and I understand why people are upset,” said Ms. Mitchan. “As a parent you have to understand - the school is overcrowded, and there is no way to add on or create access without doing something like this.”
Dr. Battershell said the district will try to do a better job in the future communicating with residents, and had those in attendance voluntarily give their names and addresses so they could be provided with updates.
Criswell asked both Battershell and Cleaver how they would feel if they were residents in the neighborhood.
Cleaver said that he would be fine with the construction, knowing that it was going to be handled in a professional manner by engineers.
Dr. Batterhsell admitted that she “probably wouldn’t have like it” if she felt like she wasn’t notified about the construction; however, as a parent, she would’ve “supported the decision.”
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