Thomas questioned on tearing down South Park

By KEN FOUNTAIN
July 28, 2009
Posted: July 28, 2009, 4:02 PM CDT Last updated: July 28, 2009, 4:42 PM CDT

Testimony began Tuesday afternoon about the future of South Park High School in a Texas district courtroom filled with school alumni wearing green shirts with the school's logo.

The attorney for the Beaumont Heritage Society and South Park High School graduate Eddie Estilete questioned Beaumont ISD Superintendent Carrol Thomas on the decision to raze the historic original South Park High School building.

The district is barred from tearing down the building under a temporary injunction.

Attorney Michael Getz tried to establish if the Beaumont ISD board had already made the decision to demolish the existing structure and replace it with a new one despite telling the public that they would explore the possibility of finding a new use for the original building.

Thomas repeatedly denied that the board had made such a decision until after building a new high school was included in the bond proposal in November 2007.

When they voted to include a new high school in the bond proposal, Thomas implied that it was implicit that the old structure would be demolished.

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/testimony_begins_concerning_future_of_south_park.html