The new school year is starting up for the Greene County School District and so it’s a good opportunity for some safety reminders for the three school buildings in Jefferson.

Police Chief Mark Clouse reminds parents and guardians to drop off and pick up their children from the elementary school, to enter off of South Cedar Street. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio this system has worked well to keep traffic congestion to a minimum. Clouse asks motorists waiting to enter from South Cedar Street, to park behind the yellow line curb.

“We get people that pull right up to the stop sign and want to sit there until it’s their turn to go in there. Someone from behind you is going to try and come around you to turn or something. It’s just very confusing and a little unsafe. So please stay behind the yellow line as you are waiting to enter the school.”  

Clouse notes that there will be temporary stop signs at the T-intersection with Ram Drive and Iowa Highway 4, where the middle school is located. The stop sign will be posted for highway traffic from 7:25-8:20am and 3-4pm everyday there is school. This will allow for the safety of students and adults to cross Highway 4 to and from school. 

Additionally, Clouse adds with the school district eliminating some bus stop locations due to bus driver shortages, that will put more kids out walking to get to those other bus stop areas, which includes places where there are no sidewalks for kids to use.

“Particularly the west side of town that infrastructure is not in place. The sidewalks are not on either side of the road right way, which makes that difficult for kids biking or walking to school, because they’re actually going to be on the roadway or the grass shoulder.”    

As for the high school, Clouse reminds everyone that the posted speed limit on Grimmell Road from Lincoln Way to US Highway 30 is 35 miles per hour.