Safety of school children should come first

To the Editor:

My current school board membership has involved two different school boards in our school corporation.

At no time have I been able to schedule an item on a monthly school board meeting without being ignored, refused or undermined.

Today's item goes to our public. Two school boards serving two school systems is a necessity in today's Clay Community School corporation. Today, we have a serious traffic problem for our students and administrative staff traveling State Roads 42 ad 59.

A few days ago, as I was returning from Brazil on SR 59, I was in a serious traffic jam at the State Roads 59 and 42 intersection.

A large semi-truck blocked State Road 59 southbound at the intersection.

Later, I learned that there was a collision that ended in a fatality.

I believe that our school system has students traveling this intersection one or more times daily when schools are in progress and when extra activities are in session.

At times, school board members and administrative personnel travel this intersection. From my viewpoint, I believe that State Roads 59 and 42, along with the State Roads 59 and 46 intersections are in need of red and green lights.

In July 1976, that school board quickly voted in a consolidated school, Cumberland Trails, in our school corporation.

This would eventually put all Clay Community Schools at one site of 100 acres.

This included elementary and junior high schools, and this would have eventually included all Clay City schools.

I learned of this one year later, when meeting with state officials in Indianapolis.

Petitions from citizens throughout our corporation killed this plan just before ground was broken and the 100 acres were returned to the 90-year owner, but patrons from Clay City today still take the (heat) for this ever since the beginning because they went to bat to keep their students in Clay City schools.

This has saved Clay City students from going through I-70 traffic. After seeing what I did the other day, returning to Clay City, I believe that if I were a parent south of I-70, I would choose Clay City schools for safety reasons.

What is this school board going to do about our students' traffic safety? Our members have denied safety for themselves and for students traveling through I-70.

Now is the time to continue one administration in our corporation with two separate school districts having board members who reside in their separate districts.

Our students deserve this -- safety demands this. Education in our classrooms awaits this.

Forrest Buell,

Clay City