Volusia & Flagler Students Headed Back To School

Posted

Daytona Beach, FL - Starting tomorrow morning (August 12th), school will be back in session for Volusia and Flagler counties.

And with that comes some added traffic on the roadways, which includes children.

According to the Transportation Research Board, about 100 children are killed each year while walking to or from school and about 25,000 are injured.

Most of the traffic changes will come during the morning and afternoon with extra drivers on the road, such as parents and students driving to and from school.

And with school starting, there will also be an increase in pedestrians on the sidewalks and bikes traveling on or near the roadways.

With the extra traffic and the larger presence of kids going to and from school, AAA is urging people to slow down and take some extra time in the morning.

"There's going to be more cars on the road and there's going to be more kids crossing the street," said Mark Jenkins, spokesperson for AAA. "So slow down, monitor your speed limits and avoid distractions."

Law enforcement will also be stepping up their game starting tomorrow as well.

Brittany Kershaw with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office says they will be increasing patrols and the presence of deputies in school zones.

The Daytona Beach Police Department won't have extra patrols out on the streets, but Messod Bendayan, DBPD's Public Information Officer, says officers will be keeping a close eye on school zones and bus stops.

Andrew Gant with the Volusia County Sheriff's office also said that VCSO will be running school zone and school bus safety operations throughout the county.

And it goes without saying that law enforcement will also be watching bus stops. So when the lights turn on and the signs come out, be sure to stop. Not only will it save you from a ticket, but it could save the life of a child.

"It's just so important for safety just for those kids just crossing the street," said Jenkins. "You might not see one and a kid could just dart right out in front of you."

New Start Times & Bus Route Information - Volusia County

Back in March, Volusia County Schools voted to adopt a brand new school schedule for the 2019-2020 school year that does change start times in all grades.

You can find the full bell schedule for each school level by clicking here.

You can also click here to get updated bus information for Volusia County.

Flagler County School Resources

Click here to see different resources such as lunch prices and documentation for Flagler County Schools.

School Zone Traffic Reports

WNDB will have live traffic updates regarding the commute to and from school starting on Monday. Live traffic reports run every weekday between 6-9 a.m. (6-8:30 a.m. on Tuesday) on the Bennett & Bernier Morning Show and 3-6 p.m. on the Marc Bernier Show. You can tune in at FM 93.5 or AM 1150.

Traffic alerts will also be published on Facebook, Twitter and the free WNDB app available on all Apple and Android devices. You can also use the app to listen to an internet live stream of WNDB.

featured