Safe Routes to School

The Kentfield School District encourages all families to actively participate in our nationally-recognized KSD Safe Routes to School program, a neighborhood-focused initiative to advocate green travel alternatives and address traffic safety at our schools. The goal of the program is to offer students safer and greener alternatives to get to and from school.

The team of Neighborhood Captains will provide you suggested safe route maps, schedules for walking and cycling to school, and carpooling options all customized by neighborhood. They will also advocate for traffic safety concerns on behalf of the families in your neighborhood.

Please consider walking or biking with your children to school. This will reduce traffic congestion around our schools, allow you to spend quality time with your children, and give them some healthful exercise before school. Children arrive at school alert and ready to learn. Our KSD Safe Routes to School program provides suggested safe walking and biking route plans and has organized walking and biking groups for every neighborhood in our district.

• The following link to the Safe Routes Program offers some excellent conversation points to address with your sons and daughters: www.saferoutespartnership.org/state/bestpractices/curriculum

Crosswalk at Wolfe Grade & Sir Francis Drake

As you plan ahead for your child’s walking and biking safety to/from school, please be aware that a new crosswalk is installed at the Wolfe Grade and Sir Francis Drake intersection, located in front of Bacich and Sloat Nursery.

Even though the new crosswalk crosses Sir Francis Drake heading towards Bacich, for student safety, we have made the following recommendations about its use:

• Students should continue to use the current route they’ve been using going to/from school.
• Kent bicyclists should proceed down to the Laurel Grove crosswalk to cross with the crossing guard as they do now, and then proceed down McAllister to school (instead of using the new crosswalk and riding through Bacich campus).
• Kent and Bacich walkers should continue to use the overpass or the Laurel Grove crosswalk.

Please share this with your child, particularly if they travel independently to school. Thank you for your partnership to ensure our Bacich bears and Kent falcons travel safely to and from school!

If you have questions regarding this recommended route to school, feel to contact Tanya Vernitsky, Safe Routes to Schools representative, at tanya.vernitsky@gmail.com. Thank you!

The following maps show walking & biking options, park & walk options, carpool spots, and carline/parking maps for both Bacich and Kent:

• Bacich Elementary School, please also refer to Bacich Carline Procedures
• Kent Middle School

Please refer to this map to determine your school district neighborhood. Neighborhood Captains provide suggested safe route maps, schedules for walking and cycling to school, and carpooling options all customized by neighborhood. The Captains also advocate for traffic safety concerns on behalf of the families in your neighborhood.

Neighborhood Captains

Greenbrae Neighborhood Route Map
Silvia Reyes, suzzienicoll@gmail.com
Rob Tulipani, rob.tulipani@gmail.com

Berens Neighborhood Route Map

Bree Eaton, bree_eaton@yahoo.com

Laurel Grove Neighborhood Route Map

Amy Luisetti, amyluisetti@gmail.com
Lindsay Wilson, lindsaywilson@me.com

Kent Woodlands Neighborhood Route Map
Elizabeth Estes, estesatsf@yahoo.com
Teola Partain, teolayoung@gmail.com
Sara Barker, sararosebarker@gmail.com
Geoff Callan, geoff@yahoo.com

Murray Park Neighborhood Route Map
Amita Puri, amita_puri@hotmail.com

SFD Firehouse Neighborhood Route Map

Zack Macdonald, zack_macdonald@hotmail.com

Program Letters of Support from Marin County Supervisor Kate Rice, California Highway Patrol, and Marin County Safe Routes to School

If you choose to drive your children to school, please keep the following 5 Traffic Safety Tips in mind:

1. Expect the unexpected. Children can dart out unexpectedly. Follow the speed limit, yield to crossing guards and be vigilant.
2. Drive slowly and carefully. Do not block sidewalks or driveways, and stop at all crosswalks. Be sure to look right before you turn right to ensure that a child is not crossing the street.
3. Don't text or talk on your phone while driving.
4. Budget extra travel time. School areas are congested, so allow for more time to get where you are going. The extra time will help avoid bouts of road rage and accidents.
5. Be a good role model. Help your children learn and practice the safety rules for walking, biking, or driving. Always buckle up in the car, wear a helmet when biking, and follow pedestrian safety rules.

We look forward to a safe and healthy school year and hope you will consider a "green travel" alternative (walking, biking, or carpooling) for transporting your child to school. By doing so, you will contribute to the health and safety of the entire school community as well as your own child(ren).

If you have any questions about the KSD Safe Routes to School Program, contact one of our Neighborhood Captains.