244 School Zone tickets hit drivers driving too fast in school zones in the first two weeks of Dallas ISD calendar year.
Back to school does not always remind adults to drive with care and caution around schools.
Despite the increased patrols some drivers are not getting the message per one local news report.
“We know the area well,” Hillary Taylor said. “Love the area. Love the neighborhood” referring to their home near Mockingbird Elementary.
However, similar to the Dallas Police Department, Taylor has started to see a rise in people speeding down her road the past few weeks. For Taylor, she said her road is in a unique situation because it’s the first street drivers can cut through to avoid school zones.
This is worrisome for her because she said there are a lot of families with young children oftentimes playing outside, whether it’s during the school year or not.
“It’s not great,” Taylor said. “Especially when you have littles. I mean, we’re out in the front yard and cars are just whipping through.”
Taylor said there are also many students walking to and from school during the day.
“It really just comes down to people being aware and courteous,” Taylor said. “I mean, these are kids. People just totally miss school zones.”
244 School Zone Tickets – One Step In Wider Safety Plan
Beyond the school zone speed enforcement, the district is mandating clear backpacks for older students. There is poor evidence clear backpacks will solve district violence issues.
“Clear bookbags are a well intended but relatively ineffective measure,” said Michael Dorn. Dorn is a former police officer and Executive Director of Safe Haven International.
Dallas ISD has not released the results of its parent survey on clear backpacks. They did say they will issue a single backpack to students and will not replace it if it becomes damaged.
In December 2021, parents were notified of an elementary student with a firearm on a bus. At the time, parents said the note normalized the situation.
There were also multiple protests at Dealey Montessori with at least two events where adults were armed on campus.
