THE CHIEF'S VIEW

With school just around the corner, it is time to talk about safety concerns at and around the school.
Every year we struggle with parents who are running late and think it is okay to stop in the middle of the road and drop their kids off. This is a violation of the law as well as dangerous to students. We have had several incidents where a student was almost hit by a car because of this. The school has designated drop-off/pick-up zones on the high school and elementary sides of the school building. There are also numerous street parking options, as well as an underutilized school parking lot. Please read the parking signs in the area. You can’t park in front of the school on E. 5th Street during certain times because that area is reserved for school buses.
We get complaints every year about people blocking buses, or weaving in and out of buses. Drivers also need to take the speed limit on N. Monroe Street seriously. The speed limit is 30 mph until you are in the school zone, which is 20 mph. Last year, I wrote several tickets to people speeding in this area and I plan on doing it again this year. If you want to avoid a ticket, you must obey the speed limit and parking signs.
Think of it this way, it is better to be late than to get a ticket or have a collision. It is much better to leave a little early so you can avoid the rush and drama caused by those who are running late. A creative solution is to drop your child off for school a block away and let them walk the rest of the way. By doing this, you avoid the traffic around the school and your student can utilize the crosswalks to get to school.