Parents urge district action as boundary change routes dozens of children past hazardous roads

Parents and neighbors pressed the Cache County School District board on March 19 for immediate help after boundary changes reassigned dozens of children to Sunrise Elementary.

"My name is Kaylee Crane. I am here as a parent and as a community member," Crane told the board, saying roughly 50 school-age children in her neighborhood will face a long walk to Sunrise with gaps in sidewalks and a dangerous roundabout. She said Smithfield City has been receptive to adding sidewalks, but that approvals and construction could take a year or more.

Muel Heckle, who identified himself as Crane’s neighbor, pointed to specific hazards: multiple high-school driveways, a blind corner and stretches without sidewalks. "We had three students who were walking together at that roundabout get hit by a car and they had to go to the hospital," Heckle said, urging the district to seek a practical short-term solution.

Melissa Reebin, a parent of five, told the board the walk from her Stonehaven home to Sunrise can be 30 minutes for an adult and far longer for young children, and described the logistical burden of transporting multiple children by car.

Board members thanked the speakers and said district leadership had heard similar concerns from other families. Director of Elementary Education Derek Bear invited the three parents to speak with him in the hall after the meeting to review routes and local options; staff also noted there are currently no district funds available to add bus stops for the neighborhood.

The parents suggested possible remedies including a temporary courtesy stop, boundary adjustments, or pursuing expedited sidewalk construction with Smithfield City. The board stopped short of committing to a specific remedy at the meeting, saying staff would review options and follow up.

What happens next: the three parents were invited to meet with Derek Bear and other staff to outline precise locations, existing contacts at Smithfield City and possible short-term mitigations. The board meeting record indicates the issue remains under review.