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Napoleon projects aim to make school travel safer

Napoleon schools are expanding and improving parking as well as adjusting pickup/dropoff procedure

NAPOLEON, Ohio — Back-to-school safety is a top priority this year for Napoleon Area City Schools. 

The City of Napoleon was recently awarded $207,000 from the "Safe Routes to School" program.

"Last year we did a walk and bike to school event, and we actually saw a lot of the flaws that are existing that is now a part of our grant," Napoleon Area City School Superintendent Erik Belcher said.

The grant money will help the district fill in the gaps where sidewalks and walking paths are missing, which can create a difficult or dangerous journey for kids walking or riding their bikes to school.

A good amount of the work will be aimed at Bales Rd. just south of campus.

"We'll have a lot of improved crosswalks throughout the city and around the campus, and a lot of sidewalk additions that are missing right now, missing pieces in the sidewalk infrastructure that we have around the city," Napoleon City Manager Joel Mazur said.

The grant announcement had perfect timing, as the Napoleon school district has already begun expanding its elementary school parking lot, and is building a new one at Charles Buckenmeyer Stadium.

The district is using about $700,000 from restructuring its school building bonds to fund this project to improve safety during school days and Friday night football.

"When parents come in the morning, we've got cars lined up down the road, so we're going to have alternate drop-off points with crossing guards that are going to help kids get across. So, we're just hoping to alleviate some of that traffic concern and congestion that we've been experiencing," Belcher said.

The work currently being done at the campus is expected to be complete by the start of the next school year, while the city of Napoleon will be able to utilize that "Safe Routes to School" grant funding in a few years after engineering and planning is complete.

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