WRENTHAM — Superintendent Rich Drolet, Principal Nicole Bottomley and Facilities Manager Joe Zahner are pleased to announce that the King Philip Regional School District will install three flashing school zone signs at the high school after receiving grant funding.
The grant was awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and provides KPRHS with two flashing signs valued at $20,000. A third sign will be purchased by the King Philip Regional School District.
Three signs are necessary to notify commuters from all three directions of entry to the high school that commuters are entering a school zone. The signs have been ordered and are planned to be installed before the end of the school year. Two of the signs will be installed at the end of the King Philip Regional High School property on Franklin St, Rt 140. The third sign will be placed on Shears St., which is adjacent to the roadway across the street from the school’s main entrance.
MassDOT will provide funding for two of the signs on Franklin Street, which are on state-governed roadways. The third sign, which will be on Shears St. is on a town-governed roadway and therefore could not receive funding.
The signs will flash during arrival and dismissal hours of the high school; from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The speed limit within the school zone will be 20 mph.
District officials have been working closely with local law enforcement and the Wrentham Department of Public Works to be able to add the signs since 2017.
Facilities Manager Zahner was instrumental in the process of obtaining the grant funding by designing and engineering the proposed school zones, speaking at Wrentham Select Board meetings, attaining the necessary MassDOT permits and submitting grant applications.
Legislative changes in zoning also helped to further the project. Prior to an amendment to the Massachusetts Uniform Traffic Control Device and Standard Municipal Traffic Code, such signs were only necessary in school zones with students in eighth grade or lower. Grant funding was also only available to pay for the signs in school zones with students in eighth grade or lower. The legislative changes expanded the eligibility to now include grades 9-12.
“We would like to thank the Wrentham Select Board, Town Administrator Kevin Sweet, Chief Bill McGrath, Deputy Chief George Labonte, Environmental Partners and our engineers at United Consultants who have all been supportive of this work,” Facilities Manager Zahner said. “Their help has been invaluable throughout this process and we greatly appreciate all they’ve done to make our students safer.”
Superintendent Drolet said, “I would like to thank and acknowledge Mr. Joe Zahner, King Philip Regional High School’s beloved Facilities Manager, who has been so devoted to getting this project done. His work will enhance and improve the safety of our high school students, staff and nearby residents.”
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A diagram of the new School Zone signs that will be installed on the roads surrounding King Philip High School (Photo courtesy United Consultants Inc.)