SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — The Sarasota County School District would like to permanently close a busy roadway that currently cuts through a school campus.
School Avenue runs through the middle of Sarasota High’s campus. The road is closed to traffic during the school day until 4:30 p.m., but pedestrians and bicyclists can still access the roadway.
The school district wants to close the roadway to pedestrians until 4:30 p.m. starting next school year.
“It is vital that we ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff at Sarasota High School,” commented Todd Bowden, superintendent of Sarasota County Schools. “Anyone at any time can walk onto our campus and approach a student one-on-one or leave something behind that’s intended to do harm. As a community, we have an obligation to protect our children, and the permanent vacation of School Avenue will help us do so.”
The district would eventually prefer to close the road completely, so the campus is enclosed. Some residents like Carmen Casares oppose the idea.
“Consider me during this decision, It’s saves me time to walk this way to the store,” said Casarez.
District leaders will meet with city leaders on Monday evening for a public forum.
