PTA safety officer asks Santaquin council for crosswalks, stop signs and a pilot NOVA program at Santa Quinn Elementary

Mallalerie Das, the PTA safety officer and a Santa Quin resident, told the City Council on June 16 that students at Santa Quinn Elementary face recurring safety problems at drop-off and pick-up and asked the city to make near-term infrastructure fixes and to pilot a police-led prevention curriculum in the school.

Das asked the council for clearer traffic controls — including reinstating a removed stop sign near 100 South and 400 West, new high-visibility signage at the school exit, and painted crosswalks on every intersection between the school and the public library — and said winter snow and overgrown vegetation force children into the roadway. Das also sought the city’s help applying for a state Safe Routes grant this summer to fund longer-term improvements.

The request included a separate proposal to pilot NOVA (Nurturing Opportunities, Values and Accountability), a prevention curriculum used in neighboring districts, for the school’s three fifth-grade classes. Das summarized the program’s costs and logistics: a $3,000 startup (a $500 one-year license, a $1,500 reusable lesson kit and $1,000 to train one instructor), 13 one-hour lessons per classroom, and recurring annual licensing and small supply costs. She said the program requires a sustained commitment from the police department to provide an instructor and noted alternative funding sources such as STEM Action Center sponsorships and JAG formula grants could offset recurring expenses.

Das framed the need in local data: "A youth arrest rate that is more than four times the national average isn't just a statistic, it is a warning light," she said, citing figures in the Santaquin Police Department’s 2025 annual report showing juveniles made up 30% of arrests locally versus about 7% nationally. She told council members that early, consistent engagement by officers acting as mentors can reduce those outcomes.

Police Chief Hurst and council members responded with a mix of operational and jurisdictional points. Hurst said the district sets formal Safe Routes paths and that some enforcement or crossing-guard decisions require partnership with the school district; he recommended staff attend follow-up meetings with district representatives and the PTA. Council members asked whether requested crosswalks should be painted or treated as active, guarded crossings, and raised scheduling and budget questions for the NOVA instructor hours. One council member who has taught NOVA in other districts urged the council to find funding, saying the program "teaches nine principles" and can be run while officers are on duty without overtime in many cases.

Next steps: Councilmembers asked staff to gather additional details and said the item would return for further discussion; the mayor suggested the issue be revisited at the next July meeting so the city can pursue quick fixes before school starts and determine whether to apply for the Safe Routes grant this summer.