Safe routes to school receive second look, more options

Two alternate proposals will be considered by school board members about where to build sidewalks to provide safer walking routes to school.

During Tuesday's 2 p.m. school board workshop, officials plan to present additional options of where to apply Safe Routes To School funding should the school district qualify for the federal money.

Last month, board members gave initial approval to apply for $315,000 in federal grants to establish a safe walking and biking environment for students. The project would be completed at no cost to the school district except staff time.

However, Board Member Sandra Nicholson objected to the proposed sites - magnet schools Chocachatti Elementary and Nature Coast Technical High School.

Now board members will also have Spring Hill and J.D. Floyd elementary school sites to consider.

"I'm not saying that the sidewalks wouldn't be well utilized at the magnet schools," Nicholson said. "But if we have a choice, I think we need to weigh utilizing these grant dollars to build sidewalks where more people are likely to use them."

Members of the Hernando County Metropolitan Planning Organization and the HCSB Transportation Department are asking board members whether to continue with the original plan to build sidewalks near the magnet schools as planned or begin work at one of the other elementary schools in hopes of meeting the deadlines.

In other business, board members are expected to consider informing magnet school committee members of their goals for the facilities.

Currently, magnet school committee members claim they need to know board members' goals in order to move forward with researching school admissions and other issues at the three magnet schools - Chocachatti Elementary School, Challenger K-8 School of Science and Math and Nature Coast Technical High School.

Other questions from magnet school committee members include:

• Whether the committee is responsible for recommending revisions or developing new procedures based on the research.

• Whether the public should be surveyed for input.

• What will happen once their research is complete.

Board members will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday to vote on other school district business.