JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County schools are taking action to improve pedestrian safety for students after a troubling start to the school year that has seen six students hit by cars, with one incident ending in a fatality.
Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier says the issue weighs heavily on him.
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“What will drive me from this profession is losing kids. It’s the one thing I just can’t do anymore,” he said.
School district and city leaders gathered at a town hall to hear concerns from parents and community members and discuss potential solutions.
Making student safety a top priority, Duval County Schools is focusing on pedestrian safety around schools. At Landon Middle School, a parent expressed concerns about traffic conditions, but the problem extends beyond just one community.
Dr. Marilyn M. Barnwell, principal of DuPont Middle School, highlighted specific dangers near her school.
“The biggest concern is the speed on DuPont Avenue,” she said. “We would love it if we can have speed bumps, or the speed strips that we heard mentioned at the meeting tonight. Also, DuPont Avenue and St. Augustine Road really needs a left turn signal at that corner so our students can cross safely at the beginning and end of the school day.”
District 3 School Board Member Cindy Pearson acknowledged the urgency of these issues. “That is something I think that is a big accident waiting to happen,” she said.
Last year, 43 students were hit by vehicles in Duval County, with three fatalities, including Atlantic Coast High School student Alondra Martinez.
Dr. Barnwell said Martinez was a former student at DuPont Middle School.
“It does, absolutely it does [hit close to home],” she said. “We just want to be advocates. We want to lift our voices. We want to get the community involved so that we can make sure that our children are safe and they’re seen.”
Pearson emphasized the importance of safety beyond school buildings. “We do a lot of work to make sure that students are safe inside our buildings, and it is just as important that students arrive to school and arrive home safely,” she said.
Parents and community members are encouraged to report any traffic concerns near their child’s school to their school board member or city council representative to help improve safety conditions.