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Manchester, MA (Above)
Essex, MA (Above)
Manchester Essex Regional School District:
Safe Routes to School and School Safety for the New School Year
The Manchester Essex Regional District School Committee, Administration, Staff, and families have joined forces along with local police to focus on safety plans as we look forward to the beginning of the new school year and during the construction of the new Middle/High School Building project. With heightened awareness for the safety of children and adults going to school and leaving school grounds, several initiatives are underway in preparation for the start of school on September 3rd..
One of the initiatives under discussion is joining the statewide program Safe Routes to School. This is a federally funded state program which encourages walking and bicycling to and from school. There are more than 63 schools in 36 communities now involved. Increased walking and biking on safely established routes decreases auto congestion in the school vicinity, highlights walking and biking safety, increases physical activity, and establishes lifelong habits and independence. Additionally this program works with local communities to improve street crossing safety and educate the public about “Bike and Walk” to school week and establishing preferred routes. Joining the Safe Routes to School project also allows schools to be eligible for funding for infrastructure improvements. Additional
information on the Safe Routes to School program can be found on the school district website www.mersd.org: Safe Routes to School
Representatives from both the Middle School and the Manchester Memorial School will be attending information workshops to learn more about the Safe Routes to School organization. Essex Elementary School already has membership in this program.
The School Committee, the School Administration, and the Police Department have worked to develop a safety plan for this fall. There will be a map of safe routes to school provided to students at Memorial School and the Middle School because the construction project impacts these sites. This map will also be posted on the school website. Additionally volunteer crossing guards are planned for several intersections where children cross the street on school routes.
For the hour when students are arriving to school in the morning and the corresponding hour for exiting in the afternoon, the School Department will reassign personnel to provide a crossing guard at the entrance to the Manchester Middle/High School entrance at the Lincoln/Vine intersection. The Manchester Police will maintain a police cruiser at the Memorial School exit to direct traffic. A second cruiser will be located on School Street when not on call or otherwise.
Additionally, the School Department will purchase and distribute pedestrian cross walk signs at four intersections to raise awareness and signal students and others to use these crosswalks. One such sign has been donated by a School Committee member to kick off this effort. Lastly, all Principals will meet with students at the beginning of school to explain and stress safety both going to school and returning home from school.
It is important that parents who drive their children and high school students who drive are aware that there will be limited parking available.
The Sweeney lot will be available for parking.
There will be parking restrictions on the Brook Street lot. It will be unavailable for the start of school until further notice. Drivers can use street parking on Norwood and Vine where available.
For pedestrians, it is important to note that Pleasant Street extension will be closed to walkers given that this street is now the construction site egress. Instead, please use School Street to Lincoln Street.
The Manchester Essex School Committee, Administration, Police Department are all committed to working with our parents and community members to focus efforts on the safety of our students. Your heightened awareness, support for these efforts, encouragement to your children to observe the safety rules, and your cooperation throughout the year will be a critical part of making sure our students arrive safely to school and then again back home at the end of the school day. Thank you.
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