Parents from Johnson Elementary School are set to participate in a Car Parade on Tuesday, May 21, at 7:30 am to draw attention to the potential consequences of closing neighborhood schools on traffic flow during drop-off and pickup times. The parade will commence at Westfield Park next to Johnson Elementary and proceed to Olander Elementary, traversing through their drop-off lane before returning to Johnson.
With the looming threat of school closures in the Poudre School District, parents are rallying together to emphasize the adverse effects such decisions could have on traffic congestion and the safety of students. Additional schools facing potential closure may also join the car parade, amplifying the collective voice of concerned parents across the community.
Johnson Elementary, currently boasting an impressive statistic of 95% of students walking or biking to school, stands as a testament to the vibrant pedestrian culture within the neighborhood. The closure of Johnson Elementary would scatter these students to schools farther away, where walking or biking would no longer be a viable or safe transportation option.
“We believe it’s crucial to highlight the potential repercussions of closing neighborhood schools, not just on traffic patterns but on the safety and well-being of our children,” said Dawnell Huitt, a parent organizer for the event. “The overwhelming majority of our students currently walk or bike to school, and dispersing them to more distant campuses would not only exacerbate traffic congestion but also compromise their safety.”
In a bid to showcase the significant number of community members who rely on walking or biking to school, a Bike Party will be held at Westfield Park adjacent to Johnson Elementary after school pickup hours on the same day, around 3:30 pm.
For more information on proposed school boundary and closure adjustments visit https://www.psdschools.org.