Thomas Klingensmith, a Polk County resident and grandfather of a child who attends Alta Vista Elementary, used the public-comment portion of the Dec. 9 meeting to raise a safety concern about the bus stop at the school’s old site.

Klingensmith told the board that when the school moved, the school-zone protections were removed at the old Alta Vista site and students who live on the opposite side of Scenic Highway (SR 544) now must cross the busy road to reach the bus stop. He said previously there was a reduced-speed school zone, a crossing guard and marked crosswalks; now only a flashing push-button alert remains. "These kids, kindergartners through sixth grade, are deemed to walk across the busy highway just because there's a flashing light," he said, warning that drivers sometimes fail to stop and that students may rush across when they see a bus approaching.

Superintendent Hyde responded that district staff would follow up. Hyde asked Mister Davis or a member of staff to meet with Klingensmith after the meeting and stated that "this has been something that the staff have already been evaluating" and that law enforcement and crossing guards have been part of that evaluation. Hyde said the district is working with the municipality but acknowledged the complexity of neighborhood access and bus routing.

The board did not take immediate formal action that evening beyond directing staff to engage and evaluate; staff indicated they would work with local law enforcement and municipal partners to explore options and report back to the board.