Allen ISD Parents Raise Concern Over Bus Barn

ALLEN (CBSDFW.COM) – More than 100 buses pick up and drop off students in the Allen Independent School District. Servicing and fueling those buses can be a monumental task, because not all of them end up in the same facility.

Come this spring, that's likely to change and Nader Nanjiani is not pleased.

"That's also not safe for the community, the environment and most importantly, the schools and the kids who are nearby," Nanjiani said.

Nanjiani is one of dozens of parents trying to stop a new bus service center scheduled to break ground in a field at the corner of Watters and Bossy Boots.

Nanjiani says his biggest concern is the 18,000 gallons of fuel that will be stored at the bus center 1,000 feet from Cheatham Elementary School. The proposed bus barn will sit even closer to a Montessori school.

"Heaven forbid, if this thing were to go off next to our school. The B.P. oil spill will sound like a picnic," Nanjiani said.

Many parents who share this concern appeared before the Allen School Board Monday night, hoping to convince trustees to look elsewhere.

"Find some place where it does not put so many children's lives in harm's way," parent James Brunett said.

"My main concern is the risk of explosion, of pollution and our children being exposed to toxins," added fellow parent Stacey Schultz.

Opponents also worry that the constant flow of buses will add unwanted traffic and noise to the neighborhood.

But the Allen School District says numerous independent studies have been conducted and the site has been deemed safe and environmentally sound.

"None of the research that has come through our studies so far have shown that this is a major concern," said district spokesman Tim Carroll. "However, we do understand that parents have concerns about this being in their area, and that's why we continue to discuss it."

While those discussions continue, so does the project, leaving concerned parents with just a few months to the keep the buses from rolling in.

The project does not need approval from the Allen School Board. Voters already approved the bus service center in a 2009 bond election.