Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents urge board to fix dangerous morning drop-off at Sunshine Elementary
Summary
Parents told the board the front entrance at Sunshine Elementary becomes hazardous each morning, with up to 825 students funneled through one gate; they asked for a traffic study, flashing school-zone lights, a marked crosswalk and crossing-guard coverage.
Parents and teachers told the School District of Lee County board on March 10 that morning drop-off at Sunshine Elementary is unsafe and requires immediate coordination among the district, the sheriff’s office and the Department of Transportation.
"Every morning the front entrance becomes dangerous," Cynthia Allen said. She described cars stopping abruptly, parents making U-turns and drivers parking in no-parking zones as hundreds of students arrive. Allen said the school serves 1,390 students and that about 825 of them arrive through parent drop-off, creating a daily, predictable risk.
Fellow parent Carrie Faith reiterated the numbers and asked the board for specific remedies: a traffic study, flashing school-zone lights that can be requested immediately, a safe marked crosswalk with crossing-guard coverage, traffic control during the peak 7:45–8:45 a.m. window and a joint safety task force to oversee implementation.
Board members responded that staff would follow up. One board member asked Chief Nulan to review the situation and said the district would discuss options including requests to DOT for crosswalks and flashing lights. Members noted that some safety improvements (sidewalks, crosswalks, flashing lights) require coordination with other agencies and at least some external approvals, so a multiagency task force or formal request process may be necessary.
The board did not take a vote on the matter during the March 10 meeting but asked staff to report back with options and next steps.
