HUTTO — Tensions ran high last week as both the City Council and the school district aired a dispute mainly centered on an interlocal agreement and a second transportation center. The council Nov. 20 voted to dissolve the interlocal agreement with the Hutto Independent School District, but the school board was in its own meeting at the time and not aware of the action until later.
The agreement includes 18 items encompassing the city and school district’s shared purpose and stating an intent to work together.
The district posted a statement on Facebook Nov. 21 regarding the city’s decision to cancel the agreement.
“This agreement has served as a guiding framework for both governmental entities… While disheartened, Hutto ISD will continue … working in good faith to identify a productive path forward with the city of Hutto,” school officials said.
Mayor Mike Snyder chimed in on the Hutto ISD post.
“The interlocal (agreement) being terminated isn’t that big of a deal,” he said.
Snyder’s post continued that despite the dissolution of the agreement, nothing would change for the city or for Hutto ISD.
“It will be business as usual,” the mayor said. “The city will not worry about helping the ISD plan for future school sites. We haven’t been included for the last several years and that will continue.”
City Councilman Place 4 Peter Gordon, who said he voted against the cancellation of the agreement, also added to the Facebook commentary. He posted a bullet point summary included in the interlocal agreement, such as the city and school district planning to collaborate on site selections for future schools.
“The main area of contention has been around site selection,” Gordon added in the social-media post.
Board Vice President Felix Chavez said it is important for the community to know Hutto ISD is doing everything it can to work with the city through this process.
“We want to make sure we’re transparent and that we work through every single step we need to take,” Chavez said.
In another topic of dissension with the city, Assistant Superintendent of Operations Dustin Barton presented the site selection process for the southern transportation center location on Chris Kelley Boulevard.
Barton listed the location’s many benefits, beginning with the stoplight at Chris Kelley and Great Western Drive.
“The stoplight is amazing…It’s going to grant us a protected entry and exit,” Barton said.
The hub saves time and money by buses having to travel less distances to pick up students, equating to a savings of $30,000 and 71,000 miles of wear-and-tear on the district’s buses.
Trustees called the location “convenient” and said it reduces extra traffic on an already busy road.
An alternate proposed location known as the “megasite” was not centrally located and is at the district’s far eastern boundary.
“It would require additional miles (on the bus), increase travel time and would need to cross many busy thoroughfares and multiple railroad crossings,” Barton said.
Watch the full school board meeting at huttoisdtx. new.swagit.com/videos/ 361859.
Meetings are held in the Administration Building Board Room at 200 College St. The next meeting is Dec. 11.
The open meeting begins about 7 p.m. after the board’s closed session at 6 p.m. Sessions can be streamed live or watched later at huttoisdtx. new.swagit. com/videos.
