Angela Abraham, speaking on behalf of Reynoldsburg City Schools and the Board of Education, asked Reynoldsburg City Council on July 14 to “immediately support” measures to keep students safe after the district cut bus service following a failed school levy. The district told council that some elementary students will now be required to walk to and from school for the coming term.

Abraham said the change follows the levy's failure and that the district needed to make significant reductions to transportation. “As a result, many young children will now be required to walk to and from school, including students that attend Taylor Road, Slate Ridge, Herbert Mills, French Run, Rose Hill, and Wagner Road Elementary School,” she said.

The School District asked council to help identify and prioritize sidewalk installation or repairs near the listed elementary schools and other high-walking-traffic zones; to improve crosswalk visibility and signage; to consider crossing guards or other temporary safety measures at high-risk intersections; and to increase patrols for school-zone speed compliance. Abraham said the district would have Buildings and Operations Director Tim Wagner share the district's no-transportation-zone maps with the city and offered to walk routes with city staff so officials “can determine where the prior prioritization of infrastructure is needed.”

Mayor (unnamed in the record) told council that the Phase 1 street program previously approved by council will include painting and intersection remedies and that the city expects some of that work to occur by the end of July and, weather permitting, by August. The mayor specifically said additional signage would be installed near Herbert Mills Elementary and that staff would coordinate with Tim Wagner to identify other locations needing attention.

Council President Seanette Strickland followed by asking the mayor to coordinate next steps with the school district; the mayor said staff would meet with Wagner and return with options. No formal council action was taken during the public-comment portion; council members and the mayor discussed potential next steps and pledged further coordination.

Why it matters: the district said the levy failure reduced available bus service and that some youngest learners will face walking routes it described as having incomplete pedestrian infrastructure. The school asked the city to consider immediate, low-cost measures while pursuing county, state and federal funding opportunities together.

Details from the meeting: Abraham said the district's "first staggered day of school is August" and that "all students reporting on August" but did not provide exact calendar dates; the transcript therefore does not specify exact school start dates. The district described its request as collaborative and said it would seek county, state and federal funding opportunities for infrastructure work.

Community follow-up: city staff said they will meet with district staff to inventory locations, narrow priority sites and return with specific recommendations for sidewalks, crosswalk improvements and signage.