School Community Council Minutes
January 31, 2013
In attendance: Mike Day, Collette Justesen, Nick Hansen, Jodi Stewart-Browning, Heather Shay, Joanne Frost, Tanya Eagar, Rachael Shober, Alisa Didenhover, Hollie Pelch
Guests: Collette Justesen, UVU coordinator at BCE & Audra Armstrong
Meeting began at 2:02 pm.
Welcome: Mike Day thanked all in attendance.
Review of last meeting’s discussion about general school safety: Mr. Hansen answered questions regarding new security: Retractable barrier to filter visitors through office to sign in & show ID; Portables locked at all times with peepholes used before letting anyone in; All classrooms locked at all times; Lock down practices;
Suggestions:
One secretary should always stay in the office.
Another ‘instant lock down’ button will be suggested to the office.
Safe Walking Route discussion:
- The Oaks subdivision problems were discussed.
- Students walking from west of Butterfield Canyon Rd. along 6400 west were discussed.
- Issues with non-bused students walking from the Cove area were discussed.
- Plans were made to request from the city a paved walking trail from The Oaks to Rose Canyon Rd. at Blayde Dr. Currently there is a walking path, which many middle school students use on a regular basis. This would help BCE students from The Oaks, some Cove walkers and possibly all students south of Butterfield Canyon Parkway avoid the intersection at 6400 west/Butterfield Canyon. The crossing guard currently stationed at 6400 west/Butterfield Canyon would need to be repositioned at Blayde & Rose Canyon should this option be completed.
- The need for sidewalks along the undeveloped land along Butterfield Canyon west of 6400 west was discussed. Mike Day, SCC co-chair & member of City Council, explained that these sidewalks will be completed when the developments are complete. Many entities, rather than one large development company own this land.
- Having the city provided red flags for students to use crossing the street (similar to SLC’s flag system) was requested from the city.
Drop off procedures:
- Administration & teachers on early morning duty have been using signs to let parents know when to unload students this week. This new system seems to increase the number of students getting out of their cars at the same time in the morning and is proving to reduce the time parents must wait in line to drop students off. It will be continued. BCE has a large area where parents can drop off students which has not been used to its full potential in the past; parents tend to what to drop their children off right in front of the front doors. By encouraging students to get out of the car and walk to the doors we can move more cars more efficiently.
- While there are other ways of moving cars in and out of the drop off zone, which were discussed at length, the SCC felt that improving the current system with a simple change was most effective at this time.
Pick up procedures:
- The administration has been timing how long it takes after the bell rings for all students to be picked up from school each day. It was found that the process takes between 5-10 minutes depending on weather and tracks, which isn’t bad considering the large number of students who are being driven home each day.
- Some dangerous situations discussed include:
- Parents dropping off students and attempting to pick them up without assistance in the parking lot.
- Parents signaling to their children to cross the streets at a place other than crosswalks to get into their cars.
- Parents blocking the crosswalks & intersections while waiting in line to pick students up. This behavior creates issues for crossing guards because it blocks the view of traffic.
- Some solutions discussed include:
- Requesting signs for the front parking lot indicating that it is not a drop off or pick up zone. In addition, the signs would state that parents need to park, cross at the cross walk to pick their students off and walk them across the parking lot to their cars.
- Painted arrows that show the direction traffic should move through the parking lot will be requested from the District.
- A request will be made for lines to be painted 1 ½ feet from the drop off/pick up curb for students to be trained to stand behind for their safety.
- Communication will be sent home often which clearly explains our safety procedures.
- We will request that police officers are present whenever possible to warn or even ticket drivers who are blocking intersections & crosswalks.
Idle-free zones:
- A question was raised about whether the fence on the east side of the drop off/pick up zone is owned by the school or neighboring homeowners. This parent hoped that additional Idle-free Zone signs could be placed along this fence line.
The Safe Walking Plan (SNAP- Safe Neighborhood Access Plan) was drafted to meet the needs/solutions discussed. Mike Day, SCC co-chair, and Nick Hansen, BCE Principal signed the plan. It will now be sent on to city law enforcement, engineers and planners for their approval before it is submitted to the District by March 22, 2013.
Our meeting was adjourned at 3:40 pm.
