2024 Summer Projects

Founders’ Field (north of Merrell Road) had synthetic turf installed, replacing the current natural grass field. The playable surface has increased to include a regulation soccer field (360’ long x 210’ wide) and is lined for all five ESD outdoor field sports.

The turf installation will positively impact all of our students, from PE classes, the lower school through sixth-grade Sports Fellowship Program, seventh and eighth-grade sports, and JV and Varsity sports in upper school. 

Summer 2024: Parking and traffic flow will be impacted. A portion of student parking in the east Tennis lot (adjacent to the field) will be closed beginning the week of April 29. Construction equipment and setup will take place in this area. There will be a strain on parking for the last two weeks of school. Campus security will work closely with our students and make adjustments to carpool as needed to lessen the disruption as much as possible. We appreciate your patience and understanding during these few weeks in May. The disruption will be minimal once school is out of session for the summer.

The first few weeks of May will significantly impact our parking situation as the vast majority of the Tennis Parking lot will be out of commission through July. As you can imagine, this will make things tight while school is still in session.

A few things to know:

1. Trucks will be entering and exiting a newly created gate into the field area from Merrell Road throughout the days and weeks ahead.
2. The entire area will be off limits to everyone except construction workers and authorized personnel. 
3. Expect more cars to be parked on the south side of Merrell Road.
4. Continue to abide by the no parking on the north side of Merrell Road, which is especially important during morning and afternoon carpool times.

As always, thank you for your flexibility and patience. We are certain the next few weeks will be challenging, and your support is key.

The area will be roped off during construction. We do not anticipate any traffic or parking disruptions other than when equipment or materials are being delivered. 

This project included the removal of six mature trees in the area. Two of the four trees were compromised by the sidewalk and determined to be unhealthy. ESD will mitigate the removal of these trees by planting more than 20 trees around campus, several of which will be planted in this area. Tree mitigation will be completed by the end of May 2025.

Projected completion date is end of September 2024.

Tree mitigation will be completed by the end of the 2024-25 school year.

In February 2022, the Dallas City Council approved the installation of antennas for cellular communication on ESD’s campus. The Verizon and T-Mobile antennas will be mounted on top of two stadium field light poles along the east border of campus.

For more detailed information on this project, please see this FAQ. 

There may be disruption along Midway Road occasionally during the installation process. This disruption should only last a few hours over the course of a few days in June or July. Once we have more information on this specific timing, we will share it.

The east side of the stadium field, and potentially the entire stadium, will be closed sporadically throughout construction. 

A brick encasement for equipment will be constructed near the southwest corner of Midway and Merrell Roads. There will likely be times traffic may be impacted by large equipment and the delivery of materials.

Upon completion of this project, our campus and neighborhood will experience a higher and more consistent rate of cellular connectivity. This is especially important for Citizens Broadband Radio Service, which includes E911 response times.

In February 2022, through a larger zoning request involving initiatives to improve traffic and parking congestion, Dallas City Council approved the installation of antennas for cellular communication on ESD’s campus. The antennas may be mounted to two stadium field light poles along the east border of campus. Plans are in place for the project to move forward during the summer of 2024. In addition to improved cellular service, including E911, there is financial benefit which will initially support a new LED lighting system at the stadium and then, subsequently, school operations and strategic initiatives. 

Below is additional information in the form of a FAQ. If you have additional questions not addressed here, please contact Ruth Burke, ESDPA Endowed Associate Head of School, or Mary Hernandez, Chief Financial Officer.

As an extra precaution and to answer questions regarding the safety, ESD contracted with an environmental organization to conduct a predictive modeling study for this project and a study of existing cellular technology near campus. The summary findings are below.

EnviroBusiness, Inc. (EBI)

EBI supports businesses and organizations to make educated business decisions armed with actionable insights and data from our experts. From due diligence to environmental safety and sustainability to construction management, EBI delivers analysis and valuable guidance for every project, no matter the size or scope. 

Purpose of the Report

EnviroBusiness, Inc (EBI Consulting) was contracted by The Episcopal School of Dallas to conduct radio frequency electromagnetic (RF-EME) monitoring modeling for both the currently existing cell antennas on the east side of Midway Road and the Verizon and T-Mobile antennas to be installed on the campus side of Midway Road. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has developed Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) limits for the general public. The EBI report summarizes the results of RF-EME monitoring and modeling in relation to relevant FCC RF-EME compliance standards for limiting human exposure to RF-EME fields.

Executive Summary

EBI collected actual (from current cell antennas along Midway Road) and predictive (proposed antenna locations on ESD’s campus) data from various places on campus, including directly under the antenna locations, on the stadium turf, in the stadium bleachers, and on the third floor terrace of the Lower School. The study was conducted with the highest power density possible for the equipment proposed; sites rarely, if ever, operate at full power. The calculations are done this way to be conservative and cover the worst-case scenario.

All of the emission measurements taken were under 1% of the FCC regulation limits. The report confirms that none of the areas studied are predicted to be near or above FCC limits. 

Maximum permissible emission limits do not represent levels where a health risk exists, they are designed to provide a substantial margin of safety. The limits apply for continuous exposure and are intended to provide a prudent margin of safety for all persons, regardless of age, gender, size or health.

The proposed cellular site is a traditional 4G LTE macro site supporting 4G, 5G, and Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) technology. Similar sites are in place across Texas. There is currently an AT&T 4G/5G macro site directly across the street from ESD by the small shopping center and there are more than 2800 FCC registered cell antennas throughout Dallas. The proposed technology in question is safe, has been in use for many years, and is approved by the FCC, FDA, and WHO.

In 2019, the cellular site located at Walnut Hill Elementary (a quarter of a mile south of ESD) was destroyed by the tornado. Several wireless carriers reached out to ESD after the tornado as they were investigating new alternative locations to fill a pressing gap in service the destroyed antennas created.

The technology in question is safe and is approved by the FCC, FDA, and WHO. 

There is an abundance of government and non-government research regarding cellular technology, wireless devices and health concerns. According to the FDA, FCC, and the WHO, among other organizations, there is no credible scientific evidence of health problems caused by the exposure to radio frequency energy emitted by cell phones or its technology.

For more than 100 years RF technology and energy has been used safely around us every day, in our homes, schools, cars, neighborhoods, and outdoors. Radios, televisions, microwaves, cell phones, XM satellite, baby monitors, bluetooth devices are all examples of how RF energy is in our daily lives. RF in all of these devices and cellular antennas produce nonionizing radiation at very safe levels - low frequency, low energy - it is safe and none of it is radioactive (ionizing) radiation.

Antennas will be installed on the east property line adjacent to Midway Road on the top of two stadium light pole standards. The antennas will be 72' above the ground.

No. Other than the standard cooling fans enclosed in the telecom equipment cabinets which will be screened and located away from view, there is no noise from a cell site and the antennas mounted 72’ above ground will not be a distraction.

Largely completed by end of September 2024, entire project completion will be toward the end of the calendar year.

Update: Pole and antennae installation will occur over Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. There will be slight disruption along Midway Road when poles are delivered. Otherwise, the work will take place within the campus footprint. We anticipate the project to be completed by January 2025.