The Museum School, just outside Avondale Estates city limits but founded in 2008 by mostly Avondale parents, has no comment regarding complaints from city residents on student use of Willis Park. Grumblings began surfacing in the past year, coming to a head during a commission work session last week detailing the park’s renovation.
“That’s the elephant in the room—the use of the park by [Museum School] students while their own park goes unused,” a resident said during public comment.
“This is not our issue,” said Patti Ghezzi, secretary on the school’s governing board. The park is technically for Avondale residents, but Ghezzi said there’s no way of knowing how many of the school’s 446 students — who come from a wide drawing area — actually live in the city.
“Personally,” she said, “I’ve lived here 13 years and have seen that park go from an underutilized space to a happy, social gathering spot.”
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