Students walking to school along West G Street could find more safety devices in place if an application for a Safe Routes to School Grant is successful.
Regina Wilder, Elizabethton City Schools’ director of coordinated school health, informed the Carter County Health Council she was working toward securing an application for a grant of up to $250,000 to improve safety for students walking to school.
Wilder told the council a letter of support for the grant would be presented to the Elizabethton Board of Education during their meeting Monday night. If the letter is approved, it will be forwarded on to city leaders in a show of support for the joint city government and school system grant application.
If acquired, the grant would provide for improvements to sidewalks and crosswalks on W G Street from Roan Street to Holly Lane. The funding would also add new signs, some possibly with flashing lights, to alert drivers to the possibility of pedestrians.
“This is about increasing safety measures for students who have to cross those difficult streets,” Wilder said.
The grant would also require that 10 percent of received funds be used for non-infrastructure activities, such as safety education, parent surveys and programs to encourage children to participate in more physical activities, such as walking or biking to school.
Wilder said that if this grant is approved, it would be the first for the city. She said the grant has been pursued in the past but the application process had not been completed.
She asked the health council to approve a letter of support for the grant to be given to the school board and the city. She noted this was the last year the grant would be awarded without requiring any matching funds from the recipient.
The health council unanimously approved the letter of support requested by Wilder.
Carter and Johnson County Health Department Director Caroline Hurt informed the council of a Christmas Health Fair that will be held at the Truman Clark Annex this Friday from 1-4 p.m.