BISD board to consider appeal in South Park case

August 10, 2009 9:49 AM
Scott Lawrence

BEAUMONT - The Beaumont school board will consider appealing a judge's order preventing the district from demolishing South Park Middle School.

Trustees are scheduled to meet Monday at 7 p.m.

The board had planned an emergency meeting last Thursday, August 6, but a judge ruled the matter didn't constitute an emergency.

On Monday, August 3, Judge Bob Wortham sided with the Beaumont Heritage Society when he granted a temporary injunction to the organization. The Heritage Society wants to preserve the South Park building, although it's not mandating the building be used as a school.

The Examiner Newspaper sought injunctive relief to prevent the August 6 emergency meeting because it said the meeting didn't fit the guidelines prescribed by the State for an emergency meeting.

Judge Milton Shuffield granted The Examiner a Temporary Restraining Order and held a hearing.

Shuffield ruled the planned meeting didn't constitute an emergency.

BISD spokeswoman Jessie Haynes told KFDM News the district's position is the posting meets all state guidelines for an emergency meeting. The district contends the matter is an emergency because the board must consider whether to appeal the Temporary Injunction issued by Judge Wortham, as well as consider immediate mediation ordered by the Court. The district also believes the matter constitutes an emergency because of the immediate need to possibly relocate students from the South Park campus to an alternate site if the restraining order becomes permanent.

Judge Wortham set a September 21 trial date on a Permanent Injunction.

BISD attorney Melody Chappell said the district might decide to ask Judge Wortham to make his Temporary Injunction permanent to expedite an appeal.


http://www.kfdm.com/news/consider-33414-school-south.html