Sulphur Springs motorists are reminded to be aware of schools zones when traveling through town in the morning and afternoons starting next week, as Sulphur Springs ISD students will return to classes on Sept. 1.
School Zones
Motorist should be alert for students arriving and going home from school, as students will be out and about. Failure to slow down or put away cell phones school zones could result in costly fines.
“Lights in school zones should have started flashing yesterday, a friendly reminder school is quickly approaching,” Sulphur Springs Police Chief Jason Ricketson said Thursday, Aug. 27.
All SSISD campuses will begin and end classes at the same time this year, with the exception of Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center. Most schools will open at 7:30 a.m., although a few will be open at 7:15 a.m. The tardy bell will ring at 7:50 a.m. and school starting at 8 a.m. Students will be released from classes at 3:35 p.m., with the exception of Douglass, which has three staggered releases.
Thus, all SSISD school zones will be active with yellow flashing lights weekday mornings from 7:15 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. For afternoon dismissal Douglass ECLC’s school zone will be active from 2:50 to 4:05 p.m. weekdays. All other SSISD school zones will be active from 3:30 to 4:05 p.m. weekdays.
The speed limits through school zones are lowered to 20 and 35, depending on the location, during those times when the flashing yellow school lights are on. All zones by primary and elementary campuses except Barbara Bush are 20 miles per hours. Houston Street in front of Sulphur Springs High School, Hillcrest Drive (State Highway 19) in front of Bush Primary and Wildcat Way in front of Sulphur Springs Middle School will all be 35 miles per hour. Speed limits on city streets that run alongside the other primary and elementary schools are typically 20 mph.
Motorists should also keep in mind that on many of these roads will be stop and go lines of traffic and in some cases students and parents walking. Those who feel the need to travel at speeds in excess of the posted school zone limits or impatient with car traffic are recommended to find an alternate routes.
Drop Off, Pick Up Procedures
SSISD Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams and Police Chief Glynda Chester remind parents that they will not be able to walk their students in to the building and to their classes this year, as a precaution due to COVID-19. Parents who want to take those first day of school pictures will need to do so before leaving home or before exiting the vehicle they arrive in.
“This a measure to help mitigate COVID-19 by decreasing the number of visitors on our campuses,” Willams said.
Thus, visitors will be kept to a minimum. People who need to drop off or pick up a child during the school day or parents who need to meet with a principal, teacher or other school staff will check in at the office should be prepared to for COVID-19 related questions and precautions, including a temperature check.
The same rule will apply to parents who walk their children to school. Parents may do so provided they stay away from any crowds of student groups. Parents will not be allowed to enter the building upon arrival.
Similarly, parents who need to will be allowed to pick up their student from the school bus hub at the stadium, but must not go beyond the edge of the sidewalk.
Although school officials are sending information via Skyward and social media, Williams reminds parents to please follow the established drop off and pick up procedures for their child’s campus. Most will remain the same.
Douglasss ECLC students are to be dropped and picked up on the Calvert Street side of the campus. Buses and day care vehicles willload and unload on Freeman Street.
Bowie Primary kindergarten and first grade students are to be dropped off and picked up from the Mockingbird Lane parking lot. Second and third graders will load to and from cars on Duckworth Street.
Lamar Primary second and third graders will enter and exit cars on Milligan Street, and kindergarteners and first graders on the other side.
Most Travis Primary students will be dropped off and picked up on Garrison Street. In the afternoons a few kindergarteners will be collected on the circle drive off Main Street if directed.
At Barbara Bush Primary, morning drop off will be in front of the building. In the afternoon, kinder will be picked up on the north side of the building facing Houston Street. Student sin grades 2 and 3 (along with buses and day care vehicles) will be picked up on the south side of the campus. First grade pickup will be in front of the building.
There will be one change for afternoon pick up at Sulphur Springs Middle School. There will be no lefthand turns allowed onto wildcat way. Motorists will have to go to the right, then can go around and catch Rockdale to get onto State Highway 19, according to Williams.
At Sulphur Springs Elementary, fourth graders will be dropped off and picked up from the drive on Lee Street. Fifth grader will arrive and leave from the Bell Street parking lot.
At high school, parents may drop off students on Connally Street from the Buford Park entrance. Students will park in the student parking lot off Houston Street, and may be picked up there in the afternoons.
High school ride bus will be required to ride a bus from the high school to the bus hub. They will not be allowed to walk through the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center area to the bus hub.
For additional information about drop off or pick up procedures, contact the child’s campus.
