There is no doubt that Pottsboro school district needs new facilities for the bus barn. The current barn is over 70 years old and can hold only one bus. While major repairs are made off site, routine maintenance is done by PISD employees at the barn - change tires, fluids, replace lights, belts and tune ups.

Last fall a proposal was made to expand the facility on the PISD grounds which included a new road connecting to an adjacent neighborhood. The road would help ease traffic congestion in the pickup and drop off area of the elementary, intermediate and middle schools. Area residents were adamantly opposed to the idea, citing concern over increased traffic which they felt would endanger the children who walk to school from the neighborhood.

PISD then contracted with the owner of a vacant shopping center on Highway 120 to convert the old David’s grocery store site into a new administration building and bus barn at a renovation cost of about $2.5 million. The money will come out of the school's saving account, so there will be no increase for tax payers.

The shopping center parking lot would provide plenty of space to park the school busses when not in use. It is hoped that the highly visible location could cut back on vandalism. It is unfortunately, this visibility that is causing uproar. Many of the residents of the neighborhood across the street from the shopping center feel the parked school busses would be unsightly and affect their property values.

In order for the plan to proceed, the Pottsboro City Council must approve rezoning the property from commercial to industrial. A public hearing to change the zoning was scheduled for January 26th but has been postponed. After the public hearing, both the zoning committee and city council will vote, but ultimately the decision rests with the council.

In an effort to bring harmony to the community, County Commissioner Bart Lawrence announced earlier this week that Grayson County would donate about four acres to Pottsboro schools for the bus barn. The property is located off 996, just outside the Pottsboro city limits. Superintendent Kevin Matthews says no decision will be made until a structural study has been completed on the shopping center property.

These are difficult decisions for both the School District and the City Council. No one seems to dispute the need for an improved bus barn but where? Should the buses be parked along the main thoroughfare and entrance to downtown Pottsboro or in a more secluded location where vandalism is a concern? As for the budget, is it more economically feasible to refurbish a building that has been vacant for many years or build a new facility?