Western Hills students push pedestrian-safety campaign, testify at Statehouse on ‘Aspen’s Law’

Western Hills students described a year-long pedestrian-safety campaign they led and urged city and state officials to tighten penalties for drivers who hit students.

Students told the Cincinnati Board of Education on June 2 that a classmate was struck while waiting at a bus stop early in the 2024–25 school year and that the loss spurred their work. Superintendent Murphy introduced the group and praised their work.

"So today, I am so excited to see the young people from Western Hills come and present to the public and to the board," Superintendent Murphy said. She noted the students had won a district pitch competition, helped design a billboard and later delivered testimony at the Statehouse.

The students described their projects: a public-service video, billboard art refined with help from United Collective (an advertising agency partner), and out‑of‑district collaboration after local parents and students reached out. They said they used a small grant—reported in the presentation as $250—to buy team T‑shirts and that United Collective helped speed a normally multi‑year billboard process into a single school year.

One student explained the group’s origin after a classmate was hit at a bus stop: "She was just waiting at her bus stop, just trying to get to school like the rest of us every other day. This impacted our whole school," the student said.

The students said they traveled to Columbus on May 14 and delivered testimony in favor of proposed legislation they called "Aspen’s Law," which they described as increasing penalties for drivers who strike students to match the fines applied for hitting construction workers. "The person who hit them only got about a $300 fine and a month in jail," a student said during the presentation. "Now, the law proposes that when you hit a student, it gets fined at the same level as if you would hit a construction worker."

Board members responded with praise and an outline of next steps. Vice President Bolton told the students the board will discuss a resolution later in the meeting "regarding this issue about increasing the penalties" and said the district is mapping safety needs near schools and infrastructure such as warning lights. Board member Craig urged the students not to stop pressing city officials for funding.

Why this matters: Students who are struck by vehicles at school bus stops raise safety and liability concerns across urban districts. The students’ campaign combined classroom work, community outreach and state‑level advocacy, and attracted board and city attention that could translate into infrastructure changes or a formal board resolution supporting legislative change.

Board action and next steps: Board members applauded the students and described plans to press city hall and the state for changes in penalties and traffic safety near schools. Vice President Bolton said the board would consider a resolution about penalty increases later in the meeting and that the administration is assembling a map of safety needs around district schools.

The students asked for continued district support to: return to City Hall to press for local funding, complete a documentary to share their model with other districts, and expand partnerships with neighboring districts that have shown interest. The board encouraged the students to come back with progress updates.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the June 2 board meeting transcript and include direct remarks by Superintendent Murphy and student presenters from Western Hills.