SAN ANTONIO — Southside ISD is pushing for sidewalks to be installed outside the district’s main complex following complaints from parents about the highly-trafficked area posing safety risks for students who walk to school.
“Everybody involved is looking at child safety,” said Randy Escamilla, Southside ISD director of public relations and community engagement.
In June, the Southside ISD Board of Trustees approved a resolution advocating for full funding to build sidewalks along U.S. Highway 281 South and Martinez Losoya Road.
The estimated $500,000 project would be funded by Bexar County and the Texas Department of Transportation.
Escamilla said Southside ISD officials have held discussions with Bexar County and TxDOT officials about the sidewalk initiative.
The project has garnered documented bipartisan support from state lawmakers, including Sen. Roland Gutierrez and Rep. John Lujan.
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“Right in front of our main campus we have 2,800 students and some students are having to walk on the grass alongside the busy highway,” Escamilla said.
Escamilla noted two consecutive years of record student enrollment exemplifies the growing community as more housing developments are in the works.
“Last year we had a little more than 5,800 students. This year we’re approaching 6,000,” Escamilla said. “There are an estimated 16,000 new homes planned in developments around Southside.”
Michelle Martinez knows how dangerous it can be walking outside the Southside ISD main complex. She supports the idea of sidewalks.
“Out of the four years I wouldn’t walk to school, but I would go to the taco cafes and the Valero and it would kind of be difficult to walk because you would have to cross the street or either go on the road on the sides,” Martinez said. “A lot (students) go to the store so I think it would be safe if they did have a sidewalk.”
Escamilla said TxDOT will conduct a traffic study in August along U.S. Highway 281 and nearby streets. All parties involved in the sidewalk project will reconvene in November.