City of Leroy issued the following announcement on Sept. 26.
One of our most significant responsibilities as a school district and community is to ensure the safety of
our children. We have recently experienced an increased concern for student safety during JH/HS bus
pick up after school. A number of elementary students ride the bus to the JH/HS to walk home or be
picked up, and JH/HS students walk home on the Pine Street side of the building. This has led to
students running in front of traffic, cars not yielding to students, and cars disobeying bus traffic signals
and stop arms. In addition, the JH/HS bike parking is on the Pine Street side of the building. In turn, on
top of a safety issue, this has become a ticketing issue for our families. Our hope is that everyone will
obey the traffic laws, use extra caution around the school, and students will always exercise safe
crossing; but, due to the increased concerns, we feel a procedural change is necessary. In partnership
with the City of LeRoy and the LeRoy Police Department, we have decided on the following suggestions
and procedural changes to our bus pick up on Pine Street.
1. Elementary parents are encouraged to pick up their children at the elementary school
2. If Elementary students ride the bus to the JH/HS, they will need to walk through the JH/HS
building to be picked up on the Center Street side of the building
3. We will no longer allow student pick up by parents on the Pine Street side
4. There will be no community parking for student pick up on the 600 block of Pine Street or South
Barnett Street between 3:00-3:30 on days when school is in session
5. Pine Street will be closed to through traffic between 3:00-3:30 on days when school is in session
6. Buses will be parked in the middle of Pine Street beginning further West than they have parked
in the past. In effect, this also closes through traffic between Pine Street and South Barnett
Street (connects Pine and 150) during the pick-up and drop off time frame when buses are
present.
7. Signs are in the process of being placed on Pine Street with the parking and through traffic
information.
Our effort is to ensure student safety and work to keep our families from being in positions of receiving
tickets. The penalty in Illinois for passing a stopped school bus with their flashing lights and stop arm
extended is a 3 month driver license suspension and $150 fine.
All of our bus stop arms are now equipped with cameras, which activate when the stop arm is extended.
We urge you to follow bus traffic laws around buses at all times and to always error on the side of
caution when buses and children are present. When a bus is in the process of picking up students, their
yellow lights will flash. When the bus door is opened, red lights come on and the stop arm extends. At
this time, by law, cars are not allowed to pass buses.
At this time there will be no procedural changes to morning drop off.
Thank you for your understanding and support of the safety of our students
Original source can be found here.
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