LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Heather Mecsko’s family moved to Las Vegas a few months ago, making this their first school year in the valley.
Mecsko has two daughters, one a student at Arbor View High School and the other goes to Lied Middle School.
A couple weeks ago, Mecsko’s younger daughter was in the school bus behind bus involved in the collision that killed 12-year-old Haylee Ryan.
“Processing the scene and seeing everything happening as it was in real time really struck home to her,” Mecsko said.
“We placed the flowers at (Haylee’s) memorial. It brings home reality for an 11-year-old, you know, that life is fragile.”
FOX5 met Mecsko at that memorial, which led to a conversation about traffic safety concerns around schools.
Specifically, the mother expressed issues with the bus stop her younger daughter takes to school.
A unique situation given Lied Middle School, the same school Haylee Ryan attended, is a magnet school.
“Basically the schools designate a hub to transport students from one locale to another in the city,” Mecsko said.
“Bozarth happens to be the location where our students, the closest stop for them, which isn’t too far from home. It’s not an inconvenience. It’s just we have a lot of people coming to one pickup point and they basically will take the student to the school at that point.”
Every day, Mecsko’s daughter, along with dozens of other students, report to Bozarth Elementary School for a bus to pick them up, take them to Lied, and then bus them back to Bozarth at the end of the day.
Mecsko’s main concern stems from the location of the bus stop/pickup point which is right off the curb of Bozarth’s parking lot, in the middle of the road.
“There are over 100 students that are brought and to and from this pickup point,” Mecsko’s said.
“It’s not safe, especially on this roadway where, you know, parents are up and down, picking up and dropping off. It’s very similar to a normal school line, but there’s just no oversight or supervision. Parents will drop off students who will be kind of left there in some step in the roadway or very close. It’s just kind of an unsafe thing.”
FOX5 joined Mecsko Tuesday afternoon to witness what she described as a “chaotic” scene at times.
Following the school bus’s arrival to drop students off, several cars made illegal u-turns in the school zone as well as parked/idled in the road waiting for the kids.
Mecsko’s main questions focus around the one bus stop for more than 100 students is in a potentially dangerous space instead of a designated bus lane that already exists on the other side of Bozarth Elementary.
“I’m not sure why it was never thought of when the bus stops were implemented as, an option. It keeps the traffic away from the students and it keeps their parents.”
“There’s some decent parking nearby that they can park along the side street and it would alleviate that congestion that they seem to always have right when they’re dropping off their students or picking up.”
Mecsko recently reached out to CCSD’s Transportation Department to share her thoughts.
FOX5 also reached out to the district, getting this response in return.
“CCSD takes all family concerns seriously and is in the process of reviewing the stop after receiving a request in recent days.
CCSD evaluates bus routes to identify bus stop locations in centralized areas clear of hazards. Generally, bus stops are placed at least 50 feet from intersections to increase visibility for drivers, students and families.
School bus lanes are designed for students to go directly from the bus to the school and are often not placed in areas that allow for parent parking for direct pickup.
If parents have specific concerns regarding their student’s transportation needs, they are urged to contact CCSD’s Transportation Department and speak with a representative by calling (702) 799-8100.”
Going forward, Mecsko hopes sharing her concerns will bring more parents into the fold and lead to change to keep students, including her daughter, safe.
“I encourage parents to reach out, just ask if they really realize like I did very easily that there’s better infrastructure that can make it a safe drop off and pick up point, that can make a difference,” Mecsko said.
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