The proposal was made in a Jan. 13 planning and committee meeting.
SAN ANTONIO — A possible move by Judson ISD has sparked major concern in a Universal City neighborhood.
The Judson ISD Board of Trustees has proposed moving the district’s alternative education program to the Coronado Village Elementary School.
Just last night residents in the surrounding neighborhood spoke out at a board meeting – saying this proposition could negatively impact their neighborhood.
The idea was proposed in a Jan. 13 planning and committee meeting.
No decision has been made but residents who live around the elementary school said putting an alternative school is not a solution.
“Do something better with a neighborhood school than making it an alternative school,” one concerned resident said during public comment.
Judson CARE – an alternative learning school could be put in the Coronado Village Elementary along with it the Judson ISD Police Department.
Officials said the move would allow for more space and access to a better learning environment.
Just across the street, neighbors who do not want it there.
“We don’t want our residential neighborhood having those kind of kids in there, scaring our senior citizens…really giving us a factor we don’t feel safe,” Robert Whitey, a resident in the Coronado Village neighborhood told KENS 5.
With 300 signatures on a petition to keep JCARE out, even Universal City leaders are speaking out against it.
“The school itself is not built great for traffic in and out…I think they’re just not going to be used to that,” Ashton Bulman, a Universal City City Council Member said. “When a bunch of your residents are upset i think my only option is to help my residents.”
This is part of a host of changes since the district’s projected deficit for 2025 reached close to $25 million.
The district board of trustees responded to KENS 5 with this statement:
“Judson ISD is opening two new schools on the north end of the district in the 25-26 school year. This necessitated a review of school boundaries. The district Growth and Planning Committee was charged with making recommendations for the changes that will affect those campuses, as well as looking at overcrowding at some schools and reduced enrollment at others. One of the recommendations that came out of the committee was repurposing Coronado Village Elementary, moving the Dual Language program currently located there to the new Selma Elementary School and transferring the remaining students to other campuses. Ultimately the staff and families preferred to remain together and will all attend Selma Elementary. Now we are in the process of determining how the current Coronado Village Elementary building will be used in the future. The Growth and Planning Committee has met previously to discuss proposals for what will happen with the building. Some ideas that have been brought forward are moving our District Alternative Education Program there, using the facility for office space, using the space for an early childhood center, and relocating our Adult Years Program there, among other proposals. No decision has been made since we are awaiting the committee’s recommendation. The district is holding a town hall at Coronado Village Elementary on Monday, Feb. 24, to hear more from the community and the committee.”
The district responded with the following:
“Good afternoon,
Judson ISD is in the process of repurposing Coronado Village Elementary School. The students and staff of that campus are being relocated to the new Selma ES that will open in the Fall 2025.
No decisions have been made regarding how we will utilize Coronado Village, however, relocating the DAEP, JCARE Academy, to that campus has been a suggestion. Other suggestions included relocating District office staff or the Adult Years Program.
We are holding a Town Hall Meeting on Monday, February 24 at 6:30 pm in the Coronado Village Cafeteria to get more feedback from our stakeholders. Additionally, we have a survey available to submit suggestions. This survey can be found here: click here
Thank you!”
Judson ISD will open two new schools on the North end of the district in the 2025-2026 school year.
This means the growth and planning committee had to make recommendations to reduce overcrowding and reduced enrollment among other issues.
They are now in the process of determining how the school will be repurposed.
Along with recommending JCARE move in, they’re also considering using the facility for office space – as an early childhood center or relocating their adult years program there has also been considered.
But the last thing the residents of Coronado Village want is for the alternative school to move in.
There will be a town hall meeting at the Coronado Village elementary school Monday at 6:30 pm to discuss the repurposing.
The community is invited to the discussion.