8/3 South Park Saved - For Now

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Monday, Aug 3, 2009 @05:36pm

Judge Bob Wortham has issued a temporary injunction blocking demolition of Beaumont's South Park Middle School. Another hearing is scheduled September 21 on whether to make the injunction permanent.

The Beaumont Heritage Society and alumni of South Park are fighting to preserve the school and want it renovated. The Beaumont ISD wants to demolish the school and build a new campus using money from the $389 million dollar bond package.

Today's decision follows four days of testimony last week. Attorney Mike Getz claims the district didn't follow construction standards suggested by the Texas Education Agency in determining the minimum allowable size for classroom. Getz says the cost analysis data used by the district is not accurate and that it could actually be cheaper to renovate the school than to build a new campus.

South Park High School was built in 1922 as part of the South Park ISD. It became South Park Middle School after the South Park District was merged into the Beaumont ISD in 1988.


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