The Warren County School District is moving ahead with plans to redesign the bus flow at Beaty-Warren Middle School.
"We have a solution," Director of Administrative Support Services Amy Stewart said on Friday. "We're working toward that."
The recent purchase of the former John Anderson Construction property at the south end of the school's parking lot gives the district some options for bus movement. With three points of access, vans, buses, and personal vehicles could each have dedicated entrances.
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Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry
Traffic at Beaty
Warren County School District officials are asking parents of students at Beaty-Warren Middle School to drop off students in safe areas around the school rather than pulling into one of the school’s driveways or stopping in traffic along Third and Conewango avenues. Three crossing guards assist students each morning at the school — at the top of the Third Avenue driveway, at the west end of the Third Avenue bridge, and at the intersection of Third and Conewango.
Director of Buildings and Grounds Services Dr. Norbert Kennerknecht said he is looking at late winter or early spring as a timeline for that improvement.
In the meantime, administrators are asking parents to help clean up congestion.
Vans and vehicles that must drop off disabled students at the school's handicapped accessible entrance must use the Third Avenue entrance to the school. School buses use the Conewango Avenue entrance for both coming and going.
Staff parking is located at several points around the building, adding those vehicles to the congestion.
"We have parents, we have staff, vans, buses, creating an environment in terms of safety that we want to improve," Stewart said. "We're seeing an increase in parent traffic. It's not set up for parent drop-off and pick-up down there."
She is asking parents to drop off students at safe convenient points near the school.
Crossing guards are located at the west end of the Third Avenue bridge to assist students dropped off near Third and Water Street. Another guard assists students in crossing Conewango Avenue. Stewart suggested Third Avenue east of Conewango, Verbeck Street and Jefferson Street as appropriate drop-off points.
There is a third crossing guard at the top of the driveway to Third Avenue who has plenty to keep an eye on without cars pulling in.
"We have a lot of student foot traffic coming in off of Third Avenue," Stewart said. "Kids don't even ride their bikes" down the driveway.
The push to clean up the situation was not driven by an injury or other accident, she said.
Instead, a steady increase in the parent traffic turning into the school from Third Avenue or stopping in the middle of traffic along Third and Conewango avenues has caused officials to look for answers.
Stewart said the crossing guards would appreciate if motorists would obey the posted 15 miles per hour speed limit surrounding the school, including the length of the bridge.