HARLINGEN — The grader pushed mounds of dirt across the parking lot at Vernon Middle School.
Parking lot? That’s a parking lot?
Not at the moment, but it has been for about 30 years, and it will be again — in about six weeks.
“We are redoing the existing parking lot,” said Oscar Tapia, assistant superintendent for school district operations.
He was referring to the teacher parking lot at Harrison Avenue and 13th St. The district is performing the same work on parking lots at Harlingen High School and Crockett Elementary.
“The parking lot has deteriorated; it’s full of potholes,” Tapia said. “Grass is growing up through the cracks. It’s not safe.”
The Harlingen school district is paying for all three parking lots with $498,828 from TRE funds. These are funds collected through a 10 cent property tax increase approved by voters through the Tax Ratification Election. That election took place about two years ago.
Tapia said old asphalt is being removed, followed by the caliche.
“The soil is being tilled and mixed with lime and chemicals to stabilize it so it doesn’t expand so much,” he said.
Two parking lots at Harlingen High School are also receiving a makeover. The district has had to resort to patching potholes at those parking lots, but no more. Soon they’ll have new asphalt, too, followed by new striping. Work on those two schools plus the parking lot at Crockett are expected to be finished in about six weeks.
