Neighbors on two sides of the Pershing campus are upset with a plan to build the new middle school in an open field that would place the building much closer to their homes.
Sharon Benton, speaking on behalf of 15 homeowners, told the school board Sept. 16 she and other neighbors along Cedarbrook Avenue and Alameda Street were not directly notified of the change.
She said many of the neighbors have only recently learned of the decision -- made shortly after spring break -- to build the school in the northeast corner of the campus.
Currently, Pershing is a K-8 building that sits on the southwest corner.
"We are surprised and disappointed nothing has ever been mentioned to the neighbors most impacted with this change," she said. "Some are asking is this drastic, after-the-vote change even legal."
The $220 million bond issue approved by voters in April 2023 included slightly more than $50 million for the Pershing project. Originally expected to be a renovation, architects and designers hired to review options said new construction would be more cost-effective and result in a better, safer building.
The decision to build a new facility is expected to cost more, estimated at $58 million, but also last longer.
By constructing a middle school in a different part of the campus, Pershing students and staff will be able to remain in the existing building until the new one is complete.
An earlier decision was made to close the elementary school, sending K-5 students who live in the Pershing attendance area to either Field or Wilder, where classroom wings have been added.
Benton said the placement of the school eliminates the sizable buffer neighbors have long enjoyed between their property lines and the building.
"We support having a better facility for the neighborhood students. However, we strongly desire that the new school be placed on this very large piece of property anywhere but imposing on our properties and our privacy," she said.
Other concerns include noise, light pollution, stormwater run-off, traffic, and a possible reduction in property values.
"Some of us only learned last week about this potential major upheaval to our current quality of life," she said. "We respectfully request you seriously consider our concerns and find a location on the existing property far more suitable to a school property surrounded by residences and more respectful of the owners of those properties."
Pershing was constructed in 1957 and has been expanded multiple times through 1994 but little has been done since.
Board members did not respond to Benton's concerns, which is standard protocol with public comments during a board meeting. The News-Leader asked if the location of the new school was final. Stephen Hall, chief communications officer for the district, said yes.
Following the meeting, Benton said the neighborhood has long been supportive of the school.
"We are not a group of whiners. We are longtime residents," she said. "We know what the repercussions are of having that school snuggled up against our properties."
Benton said putting the school in the field near their homes is not the only option.
"We think there are a lot of configurations that could occur without me having to sit in my backyard and stare at the back of a school," she said.