Construction at Grulla Middle School was halted Tuesday following a cease and desist letter from Starr County.

The Office of the Starr County Attorney sent a letter to the Rio Grande City Grulla school district that said the school never received the proper inspections and permits.

The official groundbreaking for the school was held on May 2022.

Starr County Attorney Rene P. Montalvo said the county has jurisdiction over the unincorporated the middle school is being built on, and should have been involved in the permitting process.

READ THE FULL LETTER HERE

Channel 5 News reached out to Montalvo for comment on the types of permits needed for the project. Montalvo referred all questions to the “county permitting” office, who did not respond to requests for comment as of air time Tuesday evening.

Rio Grande City Grulla CISD issued the following statement in full:

“At this point, RCGGISD has no comment as our general counsel in the process of reviewing the contents of the letter and any applicable statutes, regulations and/or legal remedies, which the district will fully address.”

A representative for school board trustees John Pope and Jay Peña said they weren’t interested in commenting, as they only speak to “local media in Starr County.”

Channel 5 News covers all four counties in the Rio Grande Valley and airs in Starr County.