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Board considers traffic and car‑line changes after first‑day congestion and safety concerns
Summary
School leaders and board members described lengthy car‑line backups, cars blocking roads and near misses; the board asked staff to work with the sheriff's department, highway patrol and DOT on routing, signage and possible enforcement for arrival and dismissal times.
Caswell County Schools board members heard extended discussion about morning and afternoon car‑line congestion, student drop‑off and bus routing after staff and board members described lengthy backups, vehicles blocking the road and safety near‑misses.
Why it matters: Board members said the current traffic patterns create a safety risk for students and drivers and could expose the district to liability if cars block public roadways. Several members urged the district to work with law enforcement and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to reroute traffic, adjust school‑zone signage and identify staff or officers to direct traffic during peak arrival and dismissal times.
Staff and board members described what they observed on the first day of school: long lines that began near the front sidewalk, multiple cars unloading at once and parents pulling into the roadway. “We’re gonna be liable if we’re blocking the road,” one board member said. Another described watching a vehicle nearly strike someone while navigating around a backup on a school route.
Proposed fixes and coordination: speakers suggested several immediate and midterm steps — have staff marshal traffic at more points, create multiple loading lanes, redirect parent traffic through alternative entrances where possible, and return buses to looped pickup/drop‑off patterns used in prior years. A board member who has worked on arrival patterns at other schools urged use of multiple queuing lanes and assigned staff at each lane. Several speakers asked the district to request highway patrol or sheriff’s deputies for focused shifts during peak times; district staff noted sheriff’s deputies and highway patrol have countywide responsibilities and shift schedules that affect availability.
DOT and signage: the board discussed moving school‑zone signage farther back from the main road to slow traffic at appropriate points and reported past work with DOT on a turning lane and sight‑line improvements that was delayed by the COVID‑19 pandemic. Staff said they will re‑engage DOT about signage location and potential roadway fixes.
Board direction and next steps: staff were asked to (1) produce a short traffic plan with proposed reroutes and staffing assignments, (2) coordinate with the sheriff’s department and highway patrol on enforcement options, and (3) discuss needed signage or curb/tree changes with DOT. The board did not adopt a formal resolution during the meeting but asked for an operational plan to be reported back in the near term.
