District receives state grant to fund equipment for school zone safety teams

District receives state grant to fund equipment for school zone safety teams

Walla Walla Public Schools was awarded $4,000 in grants from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission to re-outfit adult and student school zone safety patrol teams with new equipment. Berney, Blue Ridge, Edison, Green Park, Prospect Point and Sharpstein Elementary Schools and Pioneer and Garrison Middle Schools will receive the new equipment.

"The district is committed to keeping our students, staff and parents safe as they travel to and from school," Superintendent Mick Miller said. "We are grateful to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and will guarantee this equipment will be put to go use."

The school safety patrol teams will receive new hi-visibility traffic safety vests, red STOP wand signs, and flashlight wands.

Each school will receive $500 in new safety equipment, which includes:
- Kids size safety vests
- Adult size vests
- Stop wand signs
- Flashlight wands
- Other equipment as specifically requested by the school

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission's vision is to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2030 by following Target Zero: The Plan. (http://www.wtsc.wa.gov/)

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission helps coordinate Washington's traffic safety efforts in several ways. They:
- Work with communities and tribes to identify and help resolve traffic safety issues
- Gather, analyze and report data on traffic deaths in Washington
- Distribute state and federal traffic safety funds Conduct public education campaigns
- Most of the commission's funding comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For more information, contact Walla Walla Public Schools Communications Director Mark Higgins at: 509.526.6716 or by e-mail: mhiggins@wwps.org.