Back to School: Watch for children in loading zones before and after school
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School's back in session and the need for public safety and awareness needs to be addressed as these youngsters make their way to and from school.
Turner Public Schools returned to school last week and students in Chinook, Harlem and Hays/Lodge Pole will start later this week. This means that the streets surrounding the schools will be busy with kids hustling to and from school as well as the buses and parents or family members dropping their children or siblings off.
With all the commotion going on it's time to remind everyone to be extra vigilante around the schools, especially the grade schools with the much younger students. Drivers must also be alert out on the road and follow all protocols when crossing paths with a school bus.
According to Chinook School Policy "Student crossing guards are assigned to designated points before and after school to assist students crossing the street safely." There have been a number of instances in the past where school staff has witnessed a vehicle driving around a student crossing guard, while holding a STOP sign up in the middle of the street. Staff in Chinook and Harlem have witnessed vehicles passing through their school zones, texting while driving as they see young students racing to the school while they dart through traffic.
School policy also states "When dropping your child off in the morning, pull up to the curb in front of the building so your child does not have to cross the street." The policy also stresses DO NOT stop in the middle of the street, yet this is also a site witnessed by staff many times throughout the school year.
Another issue is when school is let out; Students are required to leave school grounds immediately unless they are part of a school sponsored activity. Parents are asked to encourage their children to utilize the crosswalk and leave promptly versus hanging around on the playground.
To help ensure the safety of the students and to enforce the policy regarding drop off and pickup the City of Chinook Police Department has made a commitment to be on hand in the morning for the hour prior to the start of school to ensure all applicable rules are followed and enforced. They will also be in the area in the afternoon to help monitor a safe pickup as well.
In addition, the Meadowlark Elementary in Chinook has made some changes to the bus drop off and pick up zone. According to Don Swenson the school utilizes three buses in delivering students to school.
Previously the buses would pull in front of the school, the middle of the block to let students out. This in combination with a side street immediately in front of the lead bus, handicap parking and parents or caregivers trying to drop their children off created an elevation risk for students.
To combat this the buses will now move back to the start of 6th street and New York to hopefully alleviate some of that congestion. The hope is to create a more conducive path for students to follow when exiting or getting into a vehicle or on or off the bus. The hope is that parents will have more room to pull their vehicle to the curb to safely allow their child access.
School safety isn't just designated to the elementary schools but the prime cause for an accident is much different at the middle and high schools. The buses still deliver students to and from school but their is generally much less of a problem simply due to their age. The biggest issue is that students, in many cases are also drivers and with all that is going on in their daily lives we need make sure that everyone is aware of potentially distracted drivers or for that matter students walking or running around school property.
It's also essential that motorists follow all laws governing the procedures for meeting a school bus on the highways or county roads. First all buses stop at every railroad crossing, every time, don't go around them if the crossing guards are still up. When following a bus you cannot pass, on either side, when the lights are flashing, even if the drivers have not stopped. When the bus opens it's door to let students on or off a STOP sign near the driver side review mirror is simultaneously displayed to notify traffic they are required to stop. This applies to all traffic on both sides of the road
