School District 47 trustees are interested in initiatives being carried out to improve the safety of students on local streets.
Board of education chairperson Dale Lawson, at the June 22 school board meeting, said there had been a story in the Peak regarding safety around schools. In the story, City of Powell River sustainability planner Ana Lukyanova outlined the receipt of $41,500 in grant funding for road safety projects in the vicinity of Henderson and Edgehill elementary schools.
Lawson said there are a number of groups and individuals concerned about the safety of students in the school district. She said there have been conversations with city staff in recent months about how to best serve and promote safe active transportation. She said she also recalls conversations with city staff about safety concerns and traffic calming in the Westview Elementary School area.
“I wonder if we could ask staff to report back on concerns principals have shared during the city’s consultations with them so that we can be reminded of concerns near schools and to consider how we may support or advocate on those matters,” said Lawson.
Superintendent of schools Jay Yule said that would be fair to request.
Lawson said clearly there are a lot of concerns around a number of neighbourhoods.
“Some of those concerns we’ve heard before and some may be new and I was wondering if we could get principals’ perspectives on the summary of that,” said Lawson. “I recall Westview Elementary School specifically this year, and pre-COVID-19, there may have been conversations.”
Trustee Jaclyn Miller said in the story, city councillor CaroleAnn Leishman said both Townsite ratepayers groups had complained about the safety around Brooks Secondary School. She was wondering if those concerns had been conveyed to the school district by the ratepayers.
Yule said the ratepayers had gone directly to the city around traffic calming, but even without talking to them, it’s known that schools would welcome traffic calming around all the schools.
Secretary-treasurer Steve Hopkins said in December 2021 there was an agenda item included in the superintendent’s report, with outgoing letters of support from Brooks and Henderson, which were solicited by the city.
“The letters of support addressed the grant submissions,” said Hopkins.
Lawson said as a board concerned for student safety, it’s important to support whatever applications come forward.
“It’s good for us to have the same understanding,” said Lawson. “I think we can do better if we know exactly what the issues are.”
At the June 14 city committee of the whole meeting, Lukyanova reported that the projects would include traffic calming, all-way stop control and painted sidewalk at Henderson, and rapid rectangular flashing beacons at the Manson Avenue crosswalk near Edgehill.
