CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Early one recent afternoon, James Metcalf, a senior at Northwest High School, was trying to cross the street to get home. “There were a lot of people getting out of school and trying to get home (that day),” he said.
The area James was trying to cross was at the intersection of North Liberty Church Road and Appleton Drive. It’s normally a high-traffic area, he told Clarksville Now, but there are no crossing guards.
A car stopped to allow him to cross the road. “I remember waving and thanking them for letting me cross, and that’s when they decided to go,” he said.
James was told he was launched in the air and hit his head on the car’s windshield. He was treated by EMTs in the ambulance and then sent home. “They really couldn’t find anything wrong, just some soreness,” he said.
He said that intersection needs crossing guards or some other way to make traffic stop and slow down.
School officials working on safety issues
Parents and community members have reported many similar close calls in student zones because people aren’t driving safely in school areas.
Anthony Johnson, Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools spokesperson, said while the recent serious accident involving a Clarksville High student was an isolated incident, residents who are traveling in areas where students are walking need to exercise extreme caution.
“All drivers picking up students on campuses need to stay alert, slow down and be patient,” Johnson said. “Each school has faculty, staff, and administrators helping to direct the flow of traffic for car rider lines, and it’s vital that drivers pay attention to their directions.
“Additionally, pedestrians and bicyclists need to follow safe practices like looking both ways before crossing traffic, staying alert at all times, being aware of surroundings, cutting out distractions like texting while traveling, and being patient.”
More students walking
Part of the issue is that more students are now walking to school.
Starting in August, CMCSS expanded the Parent Responsibility Zones (PRZ), decreasing the number of addresses near each school served by buses.
“It is important to remember that CMCSS has always had PRZ’s,” CMCSS Chief Operations Officer Norm Brumblay said during a recent presentation. “They were half a mile (from) the elementary schools and one mile (from) middle and high schools. This year, they increased those by a half a mile with safety exceptions, increasing the number of students in the parent responsibility zones from about 4 1/2 percent in previous years to about 10 percent this year.”
Johnson explained the impact the policy change on school zone areas.
“Within the distance of the PRZ … it is the responsibility of the parents or legal guardians to provide transportation to and from school. This could include walking, bicycling, parent transportation, carpooling, etc.,” he said.
As the flow of student and parent traffic has increased, and safety concerns have been raised, Johnson said, each PRZ has been evaluated and adjusted.
“So far, the Operations Department has made revisions to reduce, or in some cases completely eliminate, the Parent Responsibility Zones at around a third of our schools due to identified safety concerns, which has resulted in new bus routes being added for hundreds of students since the school year began.”
Increasing crossing guards
The Clarksville Police Department is working to provide more crossing guards at intersections where students are walking to school.
Police spokesperson Scott Beaubien said there are 18 school zones that stop and start at different times.
“Some of those zones have two crossing guards assigned: Clarksville High, Kenwood Elementary, Moore Elementary, Norman Smith Elementary, Ringgold Elementary, and Rossview High School,” he said. “If the school zones don’t have a crossing guard available (i.e., due to sickness or whatever reason they may not be available), an officer with CPD will fill in to ensure someone is present at the school zones.”
Beaubien said there are currently 11 crossing guards. “Clarksville Police Department recently held interviews with the intention of hiring three more crossing guards, one of which will be a standby/reserve position,” he said. “Safety is and will always be a priority.”
A focus on student safety
Just as the district is taking action to keep students safe, Johnson said it takes an entire community to keep students safe.
“Whether they are playing in their neighborhoods on the weekend or heading to or from schools on a weekday, we must teach our children and youth how to stay safe. As a community, we have to work together and pay attention to keep each other safe,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the district continues to educate students to be aware of their surroundings from an early age.
“From early childhood education of ‘Stop, look, listen, think’ to driver’s safety courses in high school, CMCSS reinforces safety and responsible decision-making skills throughout a student’s time in school,” he said. “Undoubtedly, there are more distractions for students today than many of us experienced in school. Smartphones, handheld games, noise-canceling headphones, and other technology present safety concerns when students are distracted while traveling. It’s important for families to partner with us to reinforce safety.”
Johnson added city officials are also working to ensure student zones are safe.
“The City of Clarksville is currently working on a plan to invest $6 million into improving safe routes to schools for students who do not utilize transportation services,” Johnson said. “These future plans include the acquisition of additional public access easements, sidewalk construction along existing roadways, and improved connectivity for pedestrians around schools.”
Casey Williams, spokesperson for the city, said more information on this funding will be announced this month.