News Summary
A new initiative, the School Traffic Safety Working Group, has been launched in the Las Vegas Valley to enhance student safety during school commutes. Coordinated by Andrew Bennett, this collaborative effort includes stakeholders from various sectors aiming to develop a comprehensive strategy that addresses school traffic safety through education, enforcement, engineering, and policy alignment. By spring, the group will release best practices to standardize school zones and improve sidewalks, while actively engaging the community to report safety concerns.
Las Vegas – A new initiative called the School Traffic Safety Working Group has been introduced in the Las Vegas Valley to enhance the safety of students during their commutes to and from school. The initiative aims to create a collaborative plan involving various stakeholders to ensure that all students can travel safely to school.
This collaborative effort, which held its inaugural meeting last month, is being led by Andrew Bennett, the Director of Traffic Safety for Clark County. The working group includes representatives from the Clark County School District (CCSD), local police departments, road owners, and various jurisdictions across the valley.
The primary objective of this initiative is to develop a comprehensive safety strategy that encompasses education, enforcement, engineering, and policy alignment. By spring, the working group is expected to publish a list of recommended best practices that will address school traffic safety issues. Among the proposed measures are the standardization of school zone placements and lengths, as well as improvements to sidewalks in front of schools.
Kirsten Searer, CCSD’s Chief Community Engagement Officer, has committed to identifying problem areas in school zones to better focus the initiative’s efforts. To facilitate communication, CCSD has launched a new web page aimed at educating parents about school zone safety. This resource will clarify parental responsibilities and provide a channel for reporting safety concerns. Categories for reporting include traffic enforcement by CCSD Police Department, crossing guard issues, and roadway conditions.
Residents are encouraged to report concerns about traffic enforcement by emailing traffic@nv.ccsd.net, while issues regarding roadways and crossing guards should be directed to the relevant municipal authorities. Lt. Bryan Zink of CCSDPD has indicated that the police department is preparing for a busy school year, having already developed enforcement schedules and strategies based on analysis of past data to enhance safety measures further.
Recent statistics from North Las Vegas schools have shown notable improvements in student safety, with incidents of fighting dropping by 19% and batteries decreasing by 27%. These positive changes have been attributed to safety protocols implemented after the pandemic, such as securing all exterior school doors except the main entrance during school hours. CCSDPD maintains a 24/7 presence to ensure immediate response capabilities through the use of Centigex badges for district staff.
However, there has been increasing concern regarding reports of neglect and abuse cases among students. Despite this, there has been a reduction in student suspensions—decreasing from 21,830 to 19,622—and expulsions, which fell from 989 to 912, compared to the same quarter last year. The district credits its restorative justice programs for these reductions, noting that such initiatives have particularly benefited minority students by minimizing suspensions and expulsions.
Critics, however, have raised concerns that exclusionary disciplinary practices are vital for maintaining school safety. Some educators express fears over potential punitive measures for disruptive behaviors which could compromise the learning environment. In response to safety challenges, CCSD has discussed possible enhancements, including the deployment of metal detectors in schools and increasing security staffing.
Moreover, the district has taken measures to contract an Artificial Intelligence weapons detection system for events and select schools to expedite screening processes. As the new school year approaches, parents and stakeholders are pressuring CCSD to implement comprehensive and effective safety protocols across all campuses, emphasizing the urgency for robust measures that prioritize the safety of every student during their daily commutes.
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Additional Resources
- Fox5Vegas: CCSD Police Break Down School Safety in North Las Vegas
- 8NewsNow: City of Las Vegas Boosts School Safety
- X1075: Back to School Safety Tips
- News3LV: Safety Concerns in Clark County Schools
- 8NewsNow: Las Vegas High School Sees Improvement on Safety
- Wikipedia: School Safety
- Google Search: School Safety Las Vegas
- Google Scholar: School Safety
- Encyclopedia Britannica: School Safety
- Google News: Las Vegas School Safety
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