Grant Will Help Improve Student Safety

Prairie Grove School District will receive more than $60,000 in grant money to construct sidewalks on and around its school campuses and make other improvements to ensure student safety.

The Arkansas Highway Commission approved an application from the school district for a grant through the Safe Routes to School Program.

The program provides funding for programs and projects that include sidewalks, crosswalks and other ways to reduce traffic speed around school buildings.

Prairie Grove schools have been awarded $61,910 from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to install sidewalks to connect the district’s three campuses, according to Carmel Perry, the district’s school health and wellness coordinator.

The city of Prairie Grove is partnering with the school and will provide a 20 percent match of about $16,000 for a total estimated project construction cost of more than $79,000.

Larry Oelrich, director of administrative services and public works, said the city already was planning to work on sidewalks around the schools and these improvements would be used to meet the 20 percent match required by the Safe Routes to School Program.

The school received a planning grant in 2014 and has spent the past 18 months planning the project with a Safe Routes To School Committee, the city of Prairie Grove and Ozark Highland’s Trail Project.

The project will include new sidewalks, crosswalks and a flashing light to slow traffic.

“This will ensure the safety and ease of transition of pedestrians on our school campus,” Perry said.