CLEARLAKE — Konocti Unified School District (KUSD) and City of Clearlake officials continue to work collaboratively to address concerns in relation to upcoming changes to district school bus routes. Lake Transit General Manager Mark Wall joined the discussion as well this week.
Changes are to be implemented May 21 and will continue throughout the remainder of the school year.
KUSD is looking to fill a $1.2 million gap in transportation funding in academic year 2012-13. The bus reconfiguration plan is to be implemented in four stages aimed at reducing costs and services. Ultimately, the district will be reducing its bus routes from 13 to six with consideration of board policy.
Board policy states that kindergarten through eighth grade students are not to be picked up within a mile of their school site. High school radius is two miles. KUSD Classified Services Director Dana Moore originally intended to configure the new bus stop locations under a three-quarter mile radius for elementary school students. However, he said he reworked the plan to place bus stops in such a way that students will have no more than a half-mile to travel either to school or a bus stop.
Wall said the transit system may have routes that could assist the district”s students in their transportation needs. Additionally, he said that the adding routes specific to school arrival and release times is a possibility that can be explored. He said while he could make no promises, reduced rates for students may also be a possibility.
The transit system is offering a “Summer Cruising Pass” to children ages 7 to 18 at a cost of $20. The pass provides the children with unlimited use of all regular Lake Transit bus routes countywide from June 1 through Sept. 15. Wall said the idea behind the cruising pass is to teach children how to use the bus. He said establishing a youth ambassador program in which children teach other children how to use the public bus system is another idea that could be explored. “I think it would be a good thing for us to try,” he said.
Traffic monitoring efforts that could be of assistance in school site drop-off areas were discussed. Clearlake Police Sgt. Tim Celli said the department receives daily complaints regarding illegal parking in red zones near area schools. He said parents consistently park in the no-parking zones despite the posted signs prohibiting such. Aggressive monitoring and ticketing those in violation may assist he said. However, he added, staff levels may vary in relation to calls for service requiring police response.
Public Works Supervisor Doug Herren and his crew are scheduled to perform grading tasks on Sonoma Avenue from Acacia Street to Modoc Street. Grading is expected to provide students with a safer alternative for walking to Pomo School than using the adjacent, highly-traveled roads such as Arrowhead Road and Country Club Drive.
An educational effort has been initiated in kindergarten through third grade classrooms, KUSD Superintendent Bill MacDougall said. The lessons are based on the Child Pedestrian Safety curriculum established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The curriculum is organized into five lessons: walking near traffic, crossing streets, crossing intersections, parking lot safety and school bus safety. Parents can access the lesson plan by visiting the website at www.walktoschool.org or at www.saferroutesinfo.org.
