After Woodlands tragedy, Palm Beach County officials press for stronger bike/ped safety, revised alarm protocols and trafficking awareness

Following recent local incidents and broader safety concerns, school board members and Superintendent Michael Burke pressed for tighter coordination on bike/ped safety, clarified alarm‑response protocols, and expanded trafficking awareness measures.

Board member Anne Gerwig and others raised specific roadway and bike‑lane design concerns after a student fatality near Woodlands Middle School, arguing that pavement bike lanes without buffer strips are not appropriate for elementary and middle‑school routes. "Those bicycle lanes are not suggested for middle or elementary school use at all," Gerwig said, urging county and FDOT coordination.

Superintendent Burke described guidance the district has given principals on alarm responses after several national tragedies. "We've told our school leaders to, like, kind of first look around, look ... doing a little assessment before you execute the drill," he said, explaining a short on‑campus assessment can be prudent when an alarm might expose students to harm.

On human trafficking, Burke said the board has asked for restroom signage and noted the legislature required staff training that the Department of Education will issue; the district expects the training to be available in December. "We know the legislature passed last year training for all of our employees," he said, adding that signage and staff training are complementary measures.

Board members and county transportation staff agreed to pursue greater coordination on school‑adjacent roadways, school entrances, and bike/walk safety education. The district also reported ongoing efforts to bring bike‑safety trailers and training to schools and to promote walking‑and‑biking safety programs, and it will follow up with the county and FDOT on engineering standards that affect school routes.