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Students urge stronger pedestrian safety near Central Falls High; board pledges follow-up
Summary
A student advocacy group told the school board that multiple pedestrian incidents near Central Falls High since the new school opened make walking to campus dangerous; students requested more crosswalks, functioning signals, crossing guards, speed enforcement and state/district coordination. The board pledged follow-up with police and state DOT.
A group of Central Falls High students and peers, organized as Future Leaders and supported by Progresso Latino, told the Central Falls School District Board of Trustees on June 1 they fear for student safety walking to and from the new high school.
Santiago Benitz, one of the student presenters, read a letter citing at least two recent incidents in which students were struck or endangered near the school since it opened. The letter says students face "speeding vehicles, limited pedestrian protection, and unclear crossing areas," and calls for higher-visibility crosswalks, functioning pedestrian crossing buttons, additional crossing signals, speed bumps in high-risk areas, increased crossing guard coverage and stricter enforcement of school-zone speed limits. Students provided a hand-drawn map and asked the board for help coordinating with city police and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation because parts of the affected road network are state-controlled.
Board members and the superintendent acknowledged the concerns. Board member Tom Evans applauded the students for advocacy, noted potential grant and state-supported traffic-detail opportunities and said the district can collaborate with Central Falls Police Department and the state DOT. Superintendent Stephanie said the district recently added a crosswalk after state-level advocacy and committed to follow up with high school leadership, the police department and the state Department of Transportation. The board encouraged the students to return in September to report progress.
Why it matters: Students described incidents that injured peers and argued that safer crossings and better enforcement are needed to prevent further harm. Several major roads near the school are state-controlled, which the board said adds coordination steps. The district intends to pursue short-term measures (crosswalk repainting, increased crossing-guard presence and police detail) while advocating for longer-term engineering solutions with the state.
Next steps: Superintendent's office to coordinate with the high school, Central Falls Police and RIDOT, and staff will report back to the board; students were encouraged to follow up in the fall.
