The Cupertino Courier
News
A drive to make traveling to school safe
By Cody Kraatz
The tri-school task force hopes to hash out some solutions to a persistent traffic and safety dilemma around four Cupertino schools.
The proximity of Regnart and Lincoln elementary schools, Kennedy Middle School and Monta Vista High School complicates what is already a prime example of the city's traffic-afflicted school zones.
Grants from the federally-funded Safe Routes to School program and the signs, crosswalks, drop-off zones and flashing lights they paid for have done little.
"We want this area to be a pilot program for how to get kids to school safely. We want this to be the model for the city," said Councilwoman Dolly Sandoval.
The grassroots committee includes one Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputy, a city council member, three school administrators and a few parent volunteers. They meet regularly on Wednesday afternoons in the Regnart Elementary School office.
On the other side of the city, Garden Gate neighborhood leaders are waiting to hear if they will get $450,000 from the Safe Routes to School grant program to make the walk to school safer there.
Fran Hardee, a mother of three students at three of the local schools, spearheaded the Regnart Safety Week from March 26 to 29.
"I want children to learn when to cross in safety in the crosswalks, how to walk or bike to school, make safer traffic generally," said Hardee, who serves as Regnart's Student Improvement Program coordinator.
Regnart surveyed their students recently.
Of the 548 students who responded, 428 (78 percent) usually come to school in a car. Only 89 usually walk and 28 usually ride a bike. Of those who come in a car, 219 of them are the only student in the car and 164 come with siblings.
On the way home, 387 get a ride, 147 of them alone. More students carpool on the way home with siblings or other children.
More awareness
Overall, Hardee wants to create awareness in the area. She knows of at least three incidents in which children were knocked down in crosswalks or on their bikes, and said many go unreported.
"We've encouraged the schools to notify the parents and their staff to notify us because that's important information," said Jim Cardenas, the sheriff representative on the task force. He knows of no injury accidents reported this year.
Hardee asked the student council to create signs and posters and it eagerly agreed. Members drew pictures and wrote slogans on posters, drawing from a list of safety messages Hardee wrote down.
Emily Hong, 9, student services representative on the student council, drew a picture of children walking to school with the caption, "Walk to School," because fewer cars means fewer accidents.
"While driving a car, the only thing you should be doing is...DRIVING!" wrote Hannah Pollek, 9, who is a sports manager on the student council.
"It's dangerous when people are going fast. One time, I almost got hit when someone didn't slow down at the crosswalk," said Hannah.
Part of the problem is that children learn from their parents, who do not always pay attention and cross the street when it is safe, said Hardee.
Sandoval said the "one child, one car" practice of many parents is a big part of the problem.
"The root causes of why people drive has not been addressed, and until the root causes have been addressed, they will continue to drive," said Sarah Feit, a parent volunteer whose three children walk every day to Regnart, Kennedy and Monta Vista.
"Part of the problem is people are not aware of the options," said Feit. Also, there are some people who live farther from school and some parents are concerned about their children's safety.
"If we can help people with a better approach and other options, hopefully they'll use them."
Communication bridge
One challenge at Regnart is that many parents are not native English speakers.
About 81 percent of the students at Regnart are Asian-American, said Lorrie Wernick, the school's principal. Generally, the school has no problem communicating with parents, even if English is not their native language, she said.
Jang-Li Chang, vice-president of the Regnart Parent Teacher Association, volunteered to translate the Safe Moves newsletter, promoting the program that teaches children how to get around safely on city streets. She was on hand to translate the messages on the student council signs into Mandarin so more drivers would understand.
"It is difficult," said Hardee, who wrote the Safe Moves newsletter and asked Chang to help. The task force also agreed that it needs the Chinese media to help get the message out to Chinese speakers.
Parent involvement is essential, but it is hard to get their support, said Hardee.
"Parent interest has been dwindling" and is nearly non-existent from Lincoln parents, said Hardee.
The best time for a parent meeting is at the beginning of the school year, when school is most on parents' minds, said Wernick.
But the group cannot wait that long.
Hardee and Cardenas, one of the sheriff's two school resource officers for Cupertino, stood outside the school office after the task force meeting. The bell had just rung, and they watched parents drive through to pick up their children.
Hardee rattled off a list of violations she sees on a regular basis, ranging from drivers ignoring signs prohibiting left turns to day care shuttles trying to pack too many kids in vans. Sometimes she calls people on the violations.
" 'Oh, sorry. I didn't know.' That's the response I get," she said. She hopes children with signs will help parents and other drivers realize how important it is to be safe around schools.
