SAN ANTONIO – A school on a major road on the Northeast Side of San Antonio is giving parents cause for concern about safety while dropping off and picking up their children.
As students walk to the IDEA Walzem campus, cars zoom by on Walzem Road, where the speed limit is 45 miles per hour.
“Many fender benders I have observed myself. I have not yet seen children getting injured, but it’s just a matter of time until a kid gets injured here,” said Anne Ottinger, a mother to a second-grader.
Ottinger fears the amount of traffic, the high rate of speed, the lack of lighting, and the lanes, paired with the added congestion of dropping off and picking up children, could result in an accident.
“On top of all the traffic, you’ve seen kids cross three or four lanes just to get to the school?” asked KSAT Reporter John Paul Barajas.
“Correct, the parent will, instead of entering the school campus to drop the child off, they will stop in traffic and bring the traffic to a standstill to drop their child off, and let the child go to campus from there,” said Ottinger.
Ottinger tells us her daughter has been attending IDEA Walzem for the past three years. She added that about a year and a half ago, she brought the concerns to the Texas Department of Transportation and the City of San Antonio’s Public Works department but hasn’t seen any changes.
“How much more do you need to do before you will act?” said Ottinger.
KSAT reached out to Idea Public Schools, which sent us this statement below:
IDEA Public Schools Official Statement
“IDEA Walzem is aware of concerns regarding traffic near the campus. Campus staff is in contact with the TxDOT to request a school zone. School staff continues to encourage parents to follow proper procedures and traffic laws during drop-off and pick-up times. We remain committed to hearing the concerns of our parents and citizens and will continue to address specific concerns in partnership with the appropriate city departments as necessary,” the statement said.
KSAT also reached out to TxDOT who provided a statement additionally:
“FM 1976 (Walzem Rd) is a state-maintained roadway. However, the city owns and maintains the traffic signals, so the city would be responsible for the school zone. Our staff has been in communication with the school and city for some time about this concern. TxDOT is currently working with the city to obtain federal funding for a project.”
“Please do not put a price tag on a child’s safety or on a child’s life. You are aware of it. You need to act,” said Ottinger.
KSAT requested a timeline for the funding and for when additional safety measures may be put in place, but a TxDOT spokesperson said they currently have no timeline.
