By Chris Bavender
Last week Boone Meadow Elementary became one the first rural schools in Indiana to see its school zone speed limit reduced to 25 miles per hour, and it all started with a simple phone call.
“The Zionsville Community School Corporation called the Whitestown Town Council to ask us to reduce the speed limit to make the crosswalk in front of Boone Meadow Elementary School safer for the kids who walk to school from the Clark Meadows neighborhood across the street and the Anson neighborhoods nearby,” Whitestown Town Manager Dax Norton said.
Not only did ZCS need to get approval from Whitestown council members, but they also needed state lawmakers to change a statute that limited municipalities from lowering a school zone speed limit to less than 30 miles per hour in a rural district – even one in one of the fastest-growing areas in the state. Norton said Whitestown contacted Sen. Phil Boots for help.
“We contacted Senator Phil Boots and asked him to author the bill, which he graciously did,” Norton said. “Large cities like Indianapolis already had the option to lower speed limits in school zones where they deemed appropriate for the safety of children. This new law gives smaller municipalities the same right.”
The bill was signed into law by Governor Mike Pence April 20. The Whitestown Town Council officially lowered the speed limit at its May 12 meeting, and the town installed new speed limit signs the next morning.
Boone Meadow Elementary School Principal Tom Hundley said response from parents has been positive.
“The construction of the crosswalk and sidewalks with signage has increased safety, however, it is extremely important to be proactive and diligent in matters surrounding student safety,” Hundley said. “With an increasing volume of construction traffic and vehicles of all types, the logical next step was to establish an enforceable reduction in speed, thus elevating safety throughout the school zone.”
