Canutillo school board, home developer disagree on who should pay for US flag mural on school

The Canutillo Independent School District board of trustees is expected to discuss at tonight’s meeting the U.S. Flag-like mural at Reyes Elementary School and who should pay for the mural.

According to a letter from Hunt Communities, the company’s president writes that it is not accurate that the company agreed to pay for the mural as Canutillo’s school board president has indicated.

Read Hunt Communities’ letter here.

At the end of March, the Canutilo ISD board agreed to move forward with a large, painted flag at the new Reyes Elementary school after the neighborhood’s developer approved of the idea.

“I would like to thank all the community members, all the students, their parents,” Board President Laure Searls on March 30. “That have stood for the red white and blue. I should thank you all.”

Hunt Communities, the developer of Cimarron housing where Reyes Elementary stands, uses strict color standards, which led to Hunt Communities mandating the district take down a painted flag on the front of Reyes Elementary earlier this year.

“This is a big victory for us especially in this day, when you see the flag being attacked all over the place,” said Jarred Taylor, a veteran activist. “So we’re very happy, not just us, but all veterans and patriots across the country.”

Hunt Communities decided to grant approval to painting a flag on the side of the school if two criteria were met:
1. The CISD Board submits the proposed flag design to, and receives confirmation of compliance from, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Protocol Office or similar group with authority to pass judgment on matters of flag etiquette and display.

2. If such approval is obtained, the CISD Board collects petition signatures from over 50 percent of the residents of Cimarron affirming
their approval of our granting a waiver under the covenants.

Hunt Communities said the American Foreign Legion found no issue with the proposal, and 23 percent of residents polled agreed with the idea, 10 percent disagrees, 67 percent did not respond.

“While this is not a full representation of the residents, we believe we have enough responses to determine that a decision favorable to your request is warranted,” said Hunt Communities President Justin Chapman in late March.

But not all board members were appeased. Trustees are asking if Hunt Communities will pay for the painted flag, and where their $10,000 donation toward a flag pole stands now. March 30, the board voted to move forward with a response to Hunt Communities, including these inquiries.

“We won, and I’m happy,” trustee Adrian Medina said in late March. “But I just feel this could have been done in such a quick manner. It should have been done a long time ago. We should have not had such misinformation. I just wish that Hunt had personally come to this meeting and spoke with our representatives, and we would have gotten through this a lot easier.”