School Safety Audit and School Zones

At a glance

What: City Auditor Robert V. Stearns's completed school safety audit, responding to Khrystian E. King's September 2023 order, which has sat in King's Education Committee.
Where it stands: referred 2026-10-13 to the Education Committee and Traffic and Parking Committee (11-0). Several related orders were adopted 11-0 the same night.
Next: reports pending; a contractor is installing 120 school zone signs (110 done as of 10/13, the rest due that week) and stencils follow later in October.

Checked school zone signs (20 mph zones are set by ordinance), crosswalks, rapid flashing beacons, arrival and dismissal observations and Safe Routes to School education.
Gaps include 25 schools without rapid flashing beacons.
Two crossings called dangerous: Nelson Place and Rice Square School at Grafton, Massasoit and Plantation.
The Council adopted a school zones ordinance last year covering every public school (about half lacked one; existing private-school zones were kept).

King's request for the Safe Routes to School Taskforce two-year strategic plan.
King's request for consideration of a hybrid beacon system near Chandler Elementary Community School (114 Chandler St.).
King's request for notifying students about new pedestrian safety measures.
The Mayor's request for a report on parking limits around Roosevelt Elementary (1006 Grafton St.) and Rice Square Elementary (76 Massasoit Rd.).

About 32 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-13 - City Council	29
2026-08-31 - Traffic and Parking Committee	3

2026-10-13 - City Council — Item 10a. King led an extended exchange with Stephen S. Rolle (sign installation, stencils, beacons, Safe Routes to School grants of one or two a year, a Vernon Hill School infrastructure grant apparently awarded, bike rodeos and an offer to consider older students and e-scooters) and Stearns (audit method: checked signs at both ends of each zone in June and July; principals were not interviewed). John P. Fresolo said the Roosevelt principal will not let cars onto the property before 2:00 PM, leaving parents waiting in Grafton Street, and Rice Square teachers still park on narrow side streets (such as Indiana St.) instead of the church lot; Joseph M. Petty said Rice Square has about 80 staff for 40 to 50 spaces and asked for a superintendent report. Robert A. Bilotta asked about city outreach to principals and school grant options.
2026-08-31 - Traffic and Parking Committee — Two Blackstone River Rd. school zone petitions (time change to 8:45 a.m.; flashing beacons) filed. Stephen S. Rolle: all signs are being standardized to the 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. ordinance time (over 120 new signs) and beacons await the Safe Routes to School task force.
2026-07-22 - Traffic and Parking Committee — Stephen S. Rolle said school zone signage is being installed citywide this summer; see Thorndyke Road School Zone Safety and the Roosevelt Elementary pickup changes in Grafton Street No Parking Anytime Ordinance.