HOUSTON – Frustration over the renovation of Westbury Senior High School in Southwest Houston came to a head Wednesday night after parents and residents pointed questions at HISD administrators.
The parents and neighbors say more than $11 million in a 2012 school bond were slated to go to demolishing two neighboring apartment complexes and relocating the occupants.
The parents and residents say the apartments are unsafe.
"That money was never accounted for," says resident Bill Burhams. "We weren't told where that money went. We still haven't been told where that money went."
District officials acknowledge the level of crime in the area.
Channel 2 checked and found that in that last three months of 2016 there were seven auto thefts, two aggravated assaults, and a burglary inside the apartments.
The school district says the residents never had a plan to build anything on the property after the proposed demolition, so the $11.2 million went to other aspects of the renovation.
"There have been some safety concerns," says HISD Trustee Wanda Adams. "But we cannot use money that was slated for schools to tear down apartments without a plan."
The entire renovation comes at a cost of $46 million.
Also at issue are the 105 students who attend Westbury and also live in the neighboring apartment complexes.
