Pinellas County STEPS Committee School Transportation Enhanced Pedestrian

Pinellas County STEPS Committee “School Transportation & Enhanced Pedestrian Safety”

Background Pinellas County nearly doubled in population between 1980 & 2000. Pinellas County Schools (PCS) Real Properties Department was responsible to acquire/administer new school sites and redevelop existing sites. PCS Real Properties Department began meeting with the City of St Petersburg at the AAA Club in 1996 to review/improve school sites.

Today PCS processes requests for site reviews or safety issues through our Facilities & Operations Division, Safety & Security, located at the Walter Pownall Service Center (WPSC). Multi- jurisdictional committee with members from across the County addressing access/egress issues related to 157 school sites. Monthly meetings held third Wednesday of the month, WPSC, Royal Palm Rm 9 -11 a. m.

The Process General Business Items not directly linked to a specific school site, such as: Walking School Bus program, Crossing Guard recognition day Crash data analysis Upcoming local events Site Specific Items related to specific school sites, such as: Walk path issues, sidewalks, flooding Crossing guard requests Arrival/dismissal procedures

Travel to School Safety Issues • PCS home web page (pcsb. org) listed under “Families”, Travel to School Safety Issues, takes you to the Safety & Security web page • School crossing guard locations/times are listed for each school • The “Travel to School Safety Concerns Form” (TTSSC) is found here • The TTSSC is directed to PCS Facilities & Operations, Safety & Security, to be recorded and forwarded to the appropriate agency for review/resolution

TTSSC Forms • TTSSC forms do not contain any student information, due to privacy requirements, as they are shared with outside agencies • TTSSC forms may be used for any safety concern, malfunctioning/damaged traffic controls, requests for crossing guards, requests pertaining to school bus transportation, missing/damaged sidewalks, overgrown vegetation blocking traffic signs, mosquito control etc. • TTSSC are forwarded to the appropriate agency/agencies for a response

School Crossing Guard Programs • PCS assists the local agencies by providing student distribution maps and student assignment zones for each school • PCS reports annual demographic information for each school, with projections for the following school year • School crossings/school zones are reviewed with the agency with jurisdictional control of the road

Lake St George ES

Charter Schools • Publicly funded, privately run schools. • PCS does not control site selection or operation of facility. • TTSSC requests are recorded and forwarded to the Charter School Administrator along with the appropriate agencies for the request. • New charter school sites are placed on the STEPS agenda for the jurisdictions awareness

STEPS Chairperson • Not restricted to PCS • Currently Mike Burke, 727 -547 -7100, x 4670; burkem@pcsb. org