New safety measures hope to curb speeding at R. Roger Rowe

Only a few weeks into the new school year R. Roger Rowe School is already struggling with some speeding issues in the parking lot, according to a safety update provided by Director of Maintenance and Operations Jeff Pitt at the school board’s Sept. 12 meeting.

Over the summer, the Rancho Santa Fe School District took some extra precautions to help improve the safety in the parking lot for students and families. “Slow” was painted into the asphalt at the school’s entrance, speed limit signs were posted and the district’s own radar trailer is expected to arrive next week, flashing lights if parents or visitors are driving over the posted 10 miles per hour speed limit.

The trailer also will also have the capability to record data. Last year the trailer that the district borrowed from the Rancho Santa Fe Patrol measured an average of 16.5 miles per hour in the lot but Pitt said that number can be misleading as the top speeds were around 25 to 30 miles per hour. The highest speed clocked last year was 42 miles per hour while children were present.

Parent education will continue to be an important method to bring down the speeds in the parking lot, Superintendent Donna Tripi said.

Many other safety measures were completed over the summer including the school-wide installation of electronic locks and the magnetic walk-in gate in the front office—a camera and monitor at the front desk is expected to be installed soon. The district also purchased four additional cameras for the parking lot and new handheld radios for administrative staff that will also allow them to communicate with the library and community center in the event of an emergency. This year staff will undergo training in CPR, first aid and participate in more realistic, updated emergency drills for earthquakes, fire or an active assailant.