**Petition to Improve Safe Student Access Through the Woodland Road Entrance**

To the School Board and School Administration,

We, the undersigned students, parents, and community members, respectfully request that the school address a significant student safety concern regarding the locked fence located on Woodland Road.

The current fence effectively blocks vehicle access, which we understand may be its intended purpose. However, it also creates substantial challenges and safety risks for students who walk to school from the Woodland Road area.

Because the fence is locked and cannot be easily accessed by pedestrians, students are forced to take an alternative route. This route requires walking along Prospect Road, which lacks sidewalks and is heavily traveled by student drivers arriving at school each morning. As a result, pedestrians must share the roadway with vehicle traffic, increasing the risk of accidents and creating an unsafe environment for students.

This situation becomes even more dangerous during adverse weather conditions, which are common in our area. Fog, snow, ice, rain, and other poor weather conditions significantly reduce visibility for both drivers and pedestrians. Students walking along roads without sidewalks become much harder for drivers to see, while drivers themselves may have less time to react. These conditions create unnecessary risks that could be avoided by providing a safe pedestrian access point through the Woodland Road entrance.

Students who continue beyond Prospect Road must either walk through areas with significant vehicle activity, including student parking areas, or travel an even longer distance to reach available sidewalks. This alternative route adds considerable travel time and requires many students to leave home significantly earlier each morning. More importantly, it exposes students to unnecessary safety hazards.

Because of these concerns, many students attempt to pass through the fence despite its limited opening. In doing so, students often struggle to fit through while carrying backpacks, become caught on the fence, damage personal belongings, and frequently have to drag their possessions through mud and other difficult conditions.

We believe the current situation demonstrates that the fence is not effectively preventing pedestrian access; instead, it is encouraging students to take unsafe routes or attempt to navigate through an inadequate opening.

We respectfully propose one of the following solutions:

1. Unlock or partially open the existing gate to allow safe pedestrian access while continuing to restrict vehicle traffic; or

2. Install a pedestrian-only access point within the fence, similar to the pedestrian openings already located throughout school property.

This second solution is especially reasonable because pedestrian access openings already exist in multiple locations around the school's perimeter, including on the opposite side of Woodland Road. If these openings are considered safe and appropriate elsewhere on school property, it is reasonable to provide the same accommodation on this side as well.

In fact, the Woodland Road side presents a greater safety concern than many of the other access points because students are otherwise forced onto roads without sidewalks and into areas with heavy vehicle traffic. Providing a pedestrian entrance here would address a known safety issue while maintaining the fence's original purpose of preventing unauthorized vehicle access.

Our goal is not to eliminate the fence but to ensure that students have a safe way to reach campus without being forced into hazardous traffic conditions. We ask the administration and school board to review this concern and work with students and families to implement a reasonable solution before an avoidable accident occurs.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and commitment to student safety.

Sincerely, 

Maya Huber