From the City of Temple Terrace:

A new school year kicks off next week in Hillsborough County, and the Temple Terrace Police Department is urging parents to make safety a top priority.

Traffic will be hectic on Tuesday, Aug. 21 as schools open for the first day of classes. (According to the Hillsborough County school district, school bus drivers will run their bus routes at the scheduled times on Monday, Aug. 20 in an effort to spot any glitches or problems—and correct them—before the start of school. That means motorists will see school buses one day earlier than expected.)

Temple Terrace police are reminding motorists to drive slowly in and around school zones and watch for children crossing streets. The speed limit in school zones is 15 mph during school hours.

Here are a few more back-to-school tips:

--Plan a walking route to school and the school bus stop. Choose the most direct way, with the fewest street crossings, and if possible, use intersections that have school crossing guards.

--Teach children to arrive at the bus stop early, stay out of the street and wait for the bus to come to a complete stop. Remind them to watch for cars and avoid a driver’s blind spot.

--Walk the route with your child before school starts. Tell him or her to stay away from parks, vacant lots, fields and other places where there aren’t many people around.

--Teach your child never to talk to strangers, or accept rides or gifts from strangers.  Remember, a stranger is anyone you or your children don’t know well or don’t trust.

--Be sure that your child walks to and from school with a sibling, friend or neighbor.

--Teach your kids to obey all traffic signals, signs and traffic officers, whether they’re walking, biking or riding the bus to school. Remind them to be extra careful in bad weather.

--When driving kids to school, drop them off and pick them up in areas designated by the school. Each school has sent out drop-off and pick-up instructions. Please follow them. These plans were developed by the school district for the safety of your child.  If you have questions, call your child’s school office. Remain alert! Many children are killed and injured by drivers dropping off and picking up children at school.

--Make sure your child wears a helmet if bicycling to school.

See also:
Top 6 Back-to-School Tips
Hillsborough Schools Bus Stop Information Now Online
Early Release Mondays Continue in Hillsborough Schools
Breakfast Introduces New Teachers to Community