By admin 
SAN ANTONIO – A school on a major road on San Antonio’s northeast side has parents concerned about safety when 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.
“I have observed many fender benders myself. I haven’t seen any children get hurt yet, but it’s only a matter of time before a child gets hurt here,” said Anne Ottinger, mother of a second grader.
Ottinger fears that the amount of traffic, the high speed, the lack of lighting and the lanes, combined with the additional congestion of dropping off and picking up children, could lead to an accident.
“Besides all the traffic, have you seen kids crossing three or four lanes to get to the school?” asked KSAT reporter John Paul Barajas.
“Right, the parents, instead of entering the school campus to drop off the child, will stop and stop traffic to drop off their child, and then let the child go to campus from there,” said Ottinger.
Ottinger says that her daughter has been at IDEA Walzem for three years. She added that she brought the concerns to the Texas Department of Transportation and the City of San Antonio Public Works Department about a year and a half ago, but has seen no changes.
“How much more do you have to do before you take action?” Ottinger said.
KSAT reached out to Idea Public Schools, who sent us the statement below:
Official Statement from IDEA Public Schools
“IDEA Walzem is aware of the concerns about traffic around 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 rules 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 collaboration with appropriate city agencies as appropriate,” the statement said.
KSAT also contacted TxDOT, who additionally issued a statement:
“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 communicating with the school and the city about this concern for some time. TxDOT is currently working with the city to obtain federal funding for a project.”
“Please don’t put a price tag on a child’s safety or a child’s life. You are aware of it. You have to act,” Ottinger said.
KSAT asked for a timeline for funding and for when additional safety measures could be put in place, but a TxDOT spokesperson said they currently do not have a timeline.
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