CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A former student of Mary Carroll High School is questioning why some items from the old campus were not salvaged before demolition started.
Melanie Estes, a 1994 graduate, expressed frustration over what she sees as wasteful disposal of furniture, and other materials.
"A concern of the waste of the equipment that’s still on property," Estes said.
As a former historian for the school’s Environmental Society, Estes values re-using and believes many items could have had a second life.
"There’s a lot of use in a lot of items," she said. However, she said when she asked CCISD, she was told the remaining items were covered in mold and unusable.
"I’ve been told by a couple at the district that the items are no good. Nobody wants them," Estes said.
Estes mentioned preserving artwork inside the building, including Greek friezes that are 115 years old and a mosaic tile mural outside the school.
"That mural is amazing. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure," she said.
KRIS6 News took Estes' claims to CCISD, who responded in a statement:
"CCISD prioritizes conserving resources as well as maintaining safe work environments. The district assessed all items and retained those that were safe and serviceable for use in the district. Keepsake items previously identified are also being removed. The remaining items became the property of the demolition company, who may dispose of them as they see fit."
Estes questioned the logic behind this process.
"It’s confusing too because they’re paying the demo company," she said.
Despite her disappointment, she was relieved to hear the district plans to preserve the Greek friezes in the cafeteria. The district emphasized that the building is now under the control of the demolition company.
KRIS 6 News will continue to follow the removal of the Greek-inspired artwork and other artwork the district will preserve.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
