Los Angeles City Council - District 1 “Re: Petition to Implement Pedestrian Safety Measures on N. San Fernando Road and Hallett Avenue
Dear Renaissance Arts Charter Academy community,
Thank you for contacting me about your concerns about street safety near Renaissance Arts Charter Academy. Like you, I was deeply concerned to learn that a student was struck by a vehicle near the school. Incidents like this are unacceptable, and my office takes responsibility
for remedying this in the long term.
When Renaissance Arts Charter Academy was approved to operate at this location, they agreed to specific conditions set by the City of Los Angeles and LAUSD. These conditions are outlined in a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), which allows the school to operate in this neighborhood, insofar as certain requirements are met. A drop-off plan submitted in 2021 satisfied the conditions regarding improving safety at Hallet and San Fernando (see below). This Parent and Student Handbook is updated and shared with parents every year.
Our office is working with the Department of City Planning, the Department of Transportation, and the Bureau of Engineering to improve the intersection at Hallet and San Fernando Road. We have also requested a school zone designation from LADOT and have asked that this request be treated as an urgent priority. In addition, we are identifying other cost-effective safety upgrades and repairs that can help protect pedestrians in the area.
We understand this is a pressing matter, and I share that urgency. My office will keep you informed as this work moves forward.
In solidarity,
Eunisses Hernandez
Los Angeles Councilmember, 1st District
DROP-OFF / PICK-UP PROCEDURES
DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP IN THE FRONT PARKING LOT AT 2558 N. SAN FERNANDO RD
These procedures have been mandated by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to ensure the safety of all students, drivers, and pedestrians, and to minimize traffic impact on nearby residents and businesses. All drivers must adhere to these procedures. Please make sure anyone taking your child to and from school is fully aware of these procedures – it is the responsibility of the entire RenArts community to keep arrival and departure time safe and sane.
WHAT TO DO:
Enter School Parking Lot at the North Gate. Traffic through the lot is ‘one-way’.
Form two lines and PULL ALL THE WAY FORWARD to allow room for other cars behind you.
Stop in the marked loading area and remain in the driver seat as Advisors monitoring traffic help scholars exit the car.
Exit the lot as directed at the South Gate (right turn only).
Follow all directions from Advisors monitoring traffic.
Respect other parents, staff members, students and neighbors.
Make certain that any caregiver who is driving your child is fully familiar with these procedures.
Drop/pick-up students only as legally permitted on San Fernando Road north or south of the school.
ALWAYS MAKE SURE STUDENTS CROSS THE STREET IN THE CROSSWALK WITH TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
DON’T drop or pick-up students at any of the following:
§ Red bus zone in front of the school -- or yellow loading zones in front of businesses
§ At the curb along San Fernando Road in front of the school
§ In the RenArts driveway
§ In the crosswalk
§ In traffic lanes on San Fernando Road
§ Outside the marked loading area inside the lot
DON’T stop or slow down in traffic lanes or crosswalks to call to your child.
DON’T park in front of a closed RenArts gate
DON’T honk your horn to call to RenArts staff or your child
DON’T park in lot during drop-off and pick-up times.
DON’T enter the neighboring business/residential lots at any time.
DON’T block any residential or business driveways.
DON’T allow your child to cross the street anywhere other than the crosswalk.
DON’T be rude to other drivers, to neighbors, or to Advisors monitoring Traffic Safety!!
All drivers are expected to treat traffic monitors and staff members with respect. Monitors are working to protect your child’s safety and the security of the school. We understand that traffic situations can be stressful, especially when drivers are in a hurry. Make sure you schedule adequate time for drop-off and pick-up to ensure that you can follow the required procedures courteously.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP PROCEDURES BE FOLLOWED AT ALL TIMES.
Any parent, guardian or care-giver who violates the terms of these Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures jeopardizes the well-being of the entire school. Parents will be called in for a conference if their child is dropped off or picked up in a manner inconsistent with these guidelines. Per Department of Transportation agreement, there is no parking available for student cars.
There are several things you can do to help keep school-generated traffic to a minimum:
CARPOOL – Find other RenArts students in your neighborhood and establish a carpool.
USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION – RenArts is conveniently located to several bus lines.
ARRIVE EARLY – There is less congestion if you drop your child earlier in the morning.
DROP / PICK-UP NORTH OF THE SCHOOL ON SAN FERNANDO ROAD – Cross only with crosswalk light!
PLEASE STOP AND READ THIS PAGE AGAIN!!!
ADHERENCE TO MANDATED TRAFFIC PROCEDURES IS CRITICAL FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR CHILD, YOUR SCHOOL AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD!!
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL:
RenArts is an urban campus that shares its immediate outdoor space with both residential and commercial neighbors. There is an arterial highway 5 feet from the building, a public bus stop at the door, and potentially hazardous traffic concentrations before and after school hours. For their own safety and to allow for responsible functionality of the city thoroughfares, students may not gather outside the building, in the parking lots, or on the sidewalks adjacent to the school. Before and after school, students are expected to demonstrate respect and personal responsibility for the entire RenArts community, including our residential neighbors, local merchants, MTA patrons at the bus-stop, library patrons, and the pedestrians and motorists negotiating the sidewalks and streets that surround RenArts.
Traffic monitors are there for the safety of all students and community members. Students who engage in disruptive, disrespectful or inappropriate behavior in the community will be subject to disciplinary measures. Parents who engage in disrespectful or hazardous behavior will be contacted for a conference.
DROP OFF:
Drop-off begins at 7:30 AM. Students must enter the building when they arrive, not linger on the sidewalks or in the parking lot. Students who leave campus after they have arrived will be considered truant. ‘Arrival at campus’ begins with drop off – the sidewalk outside the school are part of campus.
PICK UP:
After-school pick-up begins at 2:00 PM for grades TK-1 and continues with staggered dismissals through 5:45 PM depending on student Conservatory schedule. Please know your scholar’s dismissal time and do not arrive for pick-up during dismissal time for another group. Students who are picked up immediately after school are escorted to their pick up location. Dismissed students who are not being picked up in the lot must leave the immediate area to keep sidewalks clear. Only those waiting to take the bus may remain outside the school.
After-school conservatory programs dismiss between 4:45 and 5:45 for grades 7–12 and 3:45–5:00 for grades 3–6. Students’ pick-up schedule specifying day, time and location will be distributed with ensemble assignments. Times may change throughout the year if there is a change in your student’s rehearsal schedule.
DELAYS:
Pick-up procedures are the same no matter what time students are dismissed. Faculty does everything possible to adhere to dismissal schedules – but even in the case of an occasional delay, it is necessary for parents to maintain appropriate parking lot procedures and etiquette until the students arrive.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE:
RenArts does not provide afterschool care. Students may remain at school ONLY if they are participating in an assigned rehearsal or enrichment group. Students who are not participating in an assigned rehearsal or other school-based activity must leave campus. Students waiting for a sibling or carpool must either enroll in one of the enrichment groups or walk to the library to be picked up there. Check the school Calendar so you can make arrangements for early dismissal days.
METRO TAP CARDS:
Los Angeles County Metro Transit Authority offers discounted fares for all K–12 students. Applications and all necessary paperwork to apply for a discounted Metro TAP Card is available at the front office. For more information, visit:
https://www.metro.net/riding/fares/students-k-12.
LUNCH AND NUTRITION BREAK:
Lunch break is 35 minutes long at RenArts, usually from 11:40 AM to 12:15, and 30 minutes long, from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM for the PRIMARY Group. Nutrition break is 10 minutes long, and on most days starts at 9:00 for PRIMARY GROUP, and 10 AM for the INTERMEDIATE and SECONDARY GROUPS.
Students choosing not to participate in NSLP school meals should bring a sack lunch and healthy snack. Food should be ready to eat and safe to store at room temperature. There is no refrigerator or microwave available for student use. Drink containers must be non-breakable, reclosable and spill-resistant -- i.e., screw-top water or juice bottles.
To minimize spillage in instructional areas, NO soda cans or cups with plastic lids such as those from a fast-food restaurant are allowed in the school building. Please pack all food in plastic containers that can be taken home each day and reused, to help minimize trash.
If you are joining your child for lunch, please arrive by 11:30 (10:45 for PRIMARY GROUP), and bring lunch for you and your child only. If you are taking your child off-campus for lunch, please sign out and have student back at school before classes resume.
COVID NOTE: Lunch times may vary in order to meet distancing requirements in outdoor eating space. Campus visitation is limited per County health mandates.”
