FORT MILL, S.C. — Parents and students in the Fort Mill School District are upset about some students walking along a busy highway – with no safety precautions - to get to and from Fort Mill High School.
The district sent a request to SCDOT, after the death of the crossing guard in that district earlier this year, to make the walk safer for students and says nothing has been done yet.
In addition to the district’s request, residents are asking for a sidewalk, lights under the I-77 overpass, or to have the grass cut down to prevent any other tragic accidents.
The district said they’ve done what they can to provide safe walking paths for students, like having sidewalks within the school zone. However, once someone is outside of the zone, any additional safety measures become the state's responsibility.
District officials added they offer safer walking trails for students that go a mile out from the school. For a specific location that is farther than one mile, they recommend students take the bus.
There is also a petition from residents to SCDOT, that the district has signed off on, to make the walking area safer.
“We’d love to see increased walking in that area, but unfortunately that is going to take a little bit of work,” Joe Burke, the Chief Communication Officer for Fort Mill Schools, told WCNC Charlotte's Anna King.
Burke said that "work" includes “cutting back some of the hedges, making sure some of the ground covering gets cleared so it’s safe to walk there, possibly adding sidewalks and lighting under the overpass.”
The South Carolina Department of Transportation sent WCNC Charlotte a statement that states nothing is in the works yet in the area.
The district says in addition to those changes, they’ve asked for the speed limit near the school to be lowered from 55 mph to 25 mph.
Contact Anna King at aking2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.