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Students from T. Benton Gayle Middle School make their way home after class in Stafford's England Run area. |
BY JEFF BRANSCOME
Some Stafford County students who currently walk to school instead of riding the bus may have safer routes next school year, school officials say.
At its meeting tomorrow, the School Board will discuss improvements for walkers at eight elementary and middle schools: Kate Waller Barrett, Conway, Hampton Oaks, Park Ridge and Rocky Run elementary schools; and T. Benton Gayle, H.H. Poole and Rodney Thompson middle schools.
The proposed work includes installing crosswalks, sidewalks and signs where students are already walking, officials say. Facilities Assessment Engineer Jennifer Spindle said she hopes to start the projects in the summer.
The division paid a contractor earlier this year to identify possible safety improvements at 12 elementary and middle schools.
Among the eight singled out for improvements, Conway, Rocky Run and H.H. Poole are the only schools where bus service is available to all students. The others draw from neighborhoods where students must get to school by walking or by car.
The division initially said the proposed changes would establish or expand those no-bus zones--a possibility that drew criticism from some parents.
That's not the thrust of the effort now, administrators say.
"We're just doing these things that we think will be the best and safest for those kids who are already walking," Spindle said.
While Chief Facilities Officer Scott Horan has said the school system could create or expand its no-bus zones as a result of the work, he recently learned that the division can receive state grants for the projects even if it doesn't eliminate bus service.
Many parents are against requiring students to walk for several reasons, including the danger of having them cross streets with heavy traffic. Some expressed their concerns at informational meetings on the proposals in late September and earlier this month.
The school system plans to pay for the work with state "Safe Routes to School" grants, which it must apply for by December.
The division can receive up to $500,000 a year for safety improvements, but Spindle said she didn't yet know how much the most recent proposals would cost.
The School Board is scheduled to vote on the plan at its meeting Nov. 10.
Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com
Here are proposed improvements for the eight schools in the Stafford system's Install speed bumps and other traffic-slowing measures at the entrance on Fritters Lane Install a fence along a path at the back entrance from Glendale Road CONWAY ELEMENTARYInstall a guard rail along the adjacent Leeland Road Install a sidewalk from the parking lot to a community trail adjacent to a soccer field HAMPTON OAKS ELEMENTARY Install a pedestrian signal, speed bumps and other measures to slow traffic on Northampton Boulevard at school entrance PARK RIDGE ELEMENTARYInstall a pedestrian signal at intersection of Parkway Boulevard and Hampton Park Road Install crosswalks at multiple streets along Parkway Boulevard ROCKY RUN ELEMENTARYInstall sidewalks and stairs from Malvern Lakes Apartments to school GAYLE MIDDLEInstall a pedestrian signal at intersection of Lyons Boulevard and Panther Drive Install sidewalks and crosswalks on Lyons Boulevard (west side) to connect England Run Apartments with Panther Drive POOLE MIDDLEInstall speed bumps and other traffic-slowing measures on Eustace Road in front of school THOMPSON MIDDLEInstall sidewalks along Walpole Street from Courthouse Road to school Install pedestrian signal at Berkshire neighborhood |
