6 November 27 - December 3, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Living in Kessler is an investment, and the homeowners closest to Stevens Park Golf Course, which is situated in the heart of the neighborhood, with a pro shop just off Montclair, want the peace they pay a high price for. “It was really bad when [Llamitas] first started,” said Tamara Steele, the homeowner directly across the street from the old loca- tion of the school, before it was a learning pod in another neighborhood. “We didn’t know it was a school. Most of us thought it was a day- care. Parking was an issue.” Steele says that when the school first be- gan, around 2023, before Guerra joined the team, there were dozens of children running in the backyard, an equal number of cars dropping them off, and a permanent line of staff parked up and down the way. The chil- dren, she estimates to be about 25, spent all day, every day screaming outside, part of the natural, hands-on, holistic learning that Lee seems to so ardently believe in. “The direct neighbor on the side and be- hind them probably had it the worst,” Steele said. “I could hear them in my garage with the garage door closed. If I could hear them, I would call and file a noise complaint. I would file parking complaints. … Very in- convenient, very inconsiderate of the neigh- bors, really. Nobody knew what was going on. It just escalated to tension.” Steele filed at least nine complaints be- tween September 2024 and February 2025, admitting she likely seems curmudgeonly to those who didn’t have to deal with the con- stant screaming. “If it is not directly affecting you, we probably look like Karens,” she said. However, Steele and even the women of Ravinia Heights have less of a problem with the peculiarities of the holistic curricular approach and more complaints about the courtesy of the business owners operating out of residential districts. “Ultimately, for me, it was the lack of re- gard for our neighbors and the traffic, the parking, and the noise,” she said. “... While it’s weird, to each their own. I did not sign up to live across the street from school. If I would have done that, I would have paid much less to go down the street.” While operating as a school, Llamitas was subject to parking minimums, licensing requirements and land-use restrictions at the house on Montclair Avenue. According to Steele, who had contentious regular com- munications with Lee, the school was well aware of its unpopularity and had always planned to move. “It affected us,” Steele said. “It affected our peace. That was what the biggest issue was. They had never been great neighbors, but when [the school] started, it just went really downhill.” After a year of constant turmoil in Kes- sler, the founders learned as they went, so- lidifying their security under a new name and designation on Alden Avenue. Accord- ing to them, they’re not nearly as bad as their neighbors say. CALEIDOS POINT OF VIEW There are fair and valid criticisms of the Texas public education system. Traditional schooling may not be a good fit for many parents and their children. That’s why Lee developed her idea for an educational con- cept that would fill the gap for parents seek- ing more experimental learning systems that encourage natural growth, fostering students’ interests and passions. “Our mission is to create a safe, nurturing environment where children can learn through nature, connection, bilingualism, and hands-on exploration,” the school said in a statement provided to the Observer. “We follow a nature-based approach because re- search consistently shows that time out- doors supports children’s wellbeing, emotion regulation, and curiosity.” Caleidos did not agree to an interview, but did provide a statement regarding the tensions between the learning pod and the neighbors, maintaining that it is well within code and, if anything, are an addition to the neighborhood. “We care deeply about being thoughtful neighbors. Since our founding, we have worked closely with Dallas City Code and city officials to ensure we remain in full compliance,” the statement said. “... Many neighbors have shared appreciation for the sense of life, care, and connection the pro- gram brings to the block.” Caleidos also provided positive testi- mony from nearby neighbors; however, the existence of these neighbors could not be verified using Dallas County property re- cords. Unless the group of kids gets close to breaking the sound barrier or the street be- gins to look like a used car lot, the people who hope to see Caleidos closed or change its ways are out of luck, at least until 2027, when the next legislative session begins. THE LONG ROAD AHEAD The women of Ravinia Heights refuse to quit, anxious about the implications of fur- ther developments and the potential for ex- pansion if the learning pod is allowed to stay. They’ve considered applying for status as a conservation district, which would intro- duce much heavier regulations on business operations in the neighborhood, though the Learning Pod Protection Act may still stand in the way. The women, on council member West’s recommendation, made contact with Rep. González, and may have to wait for state law to change before Caleidos can be regulated at all. But González is taking the issue seriously, recognizing the flaws introduced by a vague and dated bill. “Now that social distancing isn’t required in our schools, I strongly believe the Legisla- ture should revisit this law to make strategic changes that increase neighborhood auton- omy and ensure ‘learning pods’ have proper oversight by education experts, city officials, and partners in public safety,” she said in a statement. “This is crucial to ensure spaces meant for children are subject to fire codes, child facility codes, and that teachers have proper background checks. I am committed to finding consensus with our neighbors, and I will introduce a bill next session to ad- dress these problems.” For now, Caleidos appears to be saved by the bill, but the women of Ravinia Heights remain hopeful that school will be out for- ever one day. ▼ PUBLIC TRANSIT DIFFERING ROUTES IRVING MAY HAVE A CASE FOR BAILING ON DART, PLANO HAS NEW PLAN. BY ALYSSA FIELDS A few weeks ago, a handful of Dallas Area Rapid Transit member cities an- nounced their intention to add a mea- sure to the May ballot, allowing their constituents to choose whether to end con- tracts and tax contributions to the transporta- tion agency. Last to throw in their chips and join Farmers Branch, Highland Park and Plano was Irving, whose case for leaving the network may be the strongest following signif- icant service cuts earlier this year. The main complaint for the city leading the charge, Plano, is a lack of return on in- vestment, which Irving might also have a case for moving forward. A frequently cited financial analysis con- ducted by a third-party firm for DART’s 2023 fiscal year revealed that most member cities were contributing far more to the ser- vice than they were receiving in return. Plano contributed $109 million, with $4.6 million in services back in return. Highland Park contributed $6.3 million compared with $1.9 million in services. Farmers Branch contributed $24.3 million, resulting in a $20.8 million return on its investment, according to the report, which has become a thorn in the side of DART’s administrative team, who point out that, like all studies, it may be skewed. “There were a number of costs that were not included in the methodology,” said DART CEO Nadine Lee after the cities announced special sessions to discuss turning the deci- sion to voters. “There was a distribution of funds back in 2022 and 2023, the public transportation improvement funds that were not accounted for in that methodology. There was a transportation improvement program that wasn’t accounted for in the methodology either. So it’s challenging to say that the EY study was entirely accurate.” Still, the cities refer to the study at every op- portunity. But, interestingly, Irving is one of only six of the 13 member cities that receive more in services than its contributes in taxes, turning over $102 million in taxes and getting $123.5 million in services. However, that equi- librium will become unbalanced in the years to come as Irving was disproportionately af- fected by the largest service cuts to the transit system approved earlier in the fall. In a conciliatory attempt following a con- tentious legislative session, DART approved several service cuts, freeing up room in the budget to add new services to angered mem- ber cities and furlough underused services. In those cuts were seven bus routes, two of which covered Irving, resulting in a 29% re- duction in bus service systemwide. Route frequency was also reduced across the en- tire 700-square-mile service region. One of the crucial routes, 225 on Nursery Road, was the direct connection route to the University of Dallas Orange Line light rail station, significantly reducing the city’s ac- cessibility to interconnected travel. “With the elimination of two bus routes, DART will only be providing the City of Irving with bus connectivity to three of eight rail sta- tions (38% of Irving rail stations), Jessica Patrice Turner Neighbors say Caleidos brings a lot of noise and traffic to their subdivision. Unfair Park from p4 >> p8
