The 2017 Wellness Annual Report

The School District’s Planning and Intergovernmental Relations Department continues to coordinate with the County and local governments to provide safe environments to benefit the students. Staff works closely with engineering departments to advocate for safe routes to schools within 2 miles of schools so that students may walk safely. Staff also serves on the County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Technical Advisory Committee and Bicycle Trailways Pedestrian Advisory Committee as well as the County Community Revitalization Team to ensure that safe environment exists for students to walk, bicycle and play. 

Annually, District staff works with the County’s Traffic Engineering Division to prioritize sidewalks and other infrastructure projects within 2 miles of schools. These projects are funded by the County. The District has also partnered with the County and the City of West Palm Beach in applying and obtaining grants for sidewalks and school zone flashers.  Starting in 2010, the School District was successful in obtaining grants to allow safe routes to school initiatives to be taught to the students such as explaining the benefits of physical activities, teach safe walking skills to students, provide an awareness of how walkable a community is, and identify areas for improvements. The Commit2BFit program was also implemented which allowed the students to track their eating habits, record distance walked and note other physical activities. 

Trained Physical Education teachers in bicycle safety continue to teach students during Physical Education. The District obtained a trailer with bicycles from FDOT through the Safe Routes to School program that is still being used. In 2010, a Safe Routes to School Coalition was formed to address issues pertaining to students’ safety on public right of way. The Coalition will continue to meet to address these issues.

In 2014, district staff presented to the MPO Technical Advisory Committee on possible hazardous routes to school within the 2 mile radius. Local government staff serving on the MPO, evaluated the routes within their respective municipalities against the statutory requirements and assisted staff in determining if the routes were considered hazardous for walking and bicycling. Staff has also worked with Operation Life Saver to educate students attending school in close proximity to railroad tracks on safety.

District staff also serves on the FDOT Community Traffic Safety Team.  FDOT provides the District with educational materials on safe routes to School that are distributed to the schools. As a member of the County’s and local governments’ development review committees, district staff ensures bus shelters are in place and that sidewalks are in place. 

The District partnered with Safe Kids to implement the program “Heads Up, Phones Down” at 2 middle schools and 2 high schools.  In June of this year, staff presented to the County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization Board on the District’s initiatives in educating students on safe routes, plans for the future and identified ways in which the Board can assist. They asked the MPO staff to work with the District in prioritizing the placement of overhead flashers at schools to ensure that motorist can see clearly that they are going through a school zone and slow their speed. The School District staff is also actively working with the Metropolitan Planning Organization staff in mapping existing sidewalks countywide so that missing sidewalks can be put in place and to provide for walk safe resources for students. District staff is supportive of taking a new resolution to the School Board to support walking and bicycling to school in Palm Beach County.