Local Schools on a Mission to Keep Kids Safe

In the near future, don't be surprised if you see a walking school bus or a bicycle train of students on the way to school. These are just two of the many ideas discussed at a workshop created to improve the safety of Pinellas County children during their commute to school.

Representatives from 14 county elementary schools participated in the second annual Safe Routes to School workshop Wednesday at Countryside High School. Pinellas County is one of 50 communities nationwide to receive federal funding from Putting Prevention to Work grants, which in turn funds the Pinellas County's Safe Routes to School program.

“The purpose of the program is to raise awareness with all community members of the importance for children to have safe, secure and well maintained patterns and processes to safely travel to and from school," said Peggy Johns, the Pinellas County School District's coordinator for the program.

Workshop organizers say walking and bicycling to school also has great health benefits.

"When kids walk or ride bicycles to school, they are more alert in class and listen better," said Megan Carmichael from the Pinellas County Health Department. "They spend more time with their peers and get in some good exercise before and after school. This exercise can be a deterrent to childhood obesity."

During the workshop, school teams watched presentations about safety concerns involving traffic, unsafe sidewalks, obstacles, signage, driveways, animals, lighting, vegetation and use of crosswalks.

Members of local police agencies and fire departments also participated in the conference. "We deal in community safety, not just fighting fires. We actively participate in the safe school coalition and work every day to make it safer for kids to walk and ride their bikes to school," Dunedin Fire Marshal William McElligott said.

In addition to informing participants about safety concerns, organizers emphasized the importance of parental involvement. They say a key factor for the program’s success is support from parents. Workshop participants discussed strategies designed to motivate parents to participate. Many parents are reluctant to let their young children walk or ride their bikes to school alone or unsupervised.

"Our goal is to advance walking and bicycling to school for students around the United States," says Robert Ping, one of the speakers and State Network Director for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. According to the organization's data and statistics, the number of children walking or bicycling to school has declined 35 percent since 1969. A significantly larger number of students are being driven to school. As a result, traffic jams, auto emissions and traffic accidents have all increased.

If you would like more information about the Safe Routes To School program, contact the principal at your child's school.  

If you are interested in volunteering for the Safe Routes to Schools program, contact Peggy Johns at 727-588-6346.