Cumberland County students will return to school for their first full day tomorrow (Wednesday, August 12, 2020) causing pedestrian and vehicle traffic to increase significantly in school areas.

Please take note of the following recommendations from law enforcement:

• It is illegal for a driver to use a hand-held cell phone in Tennessee, including in a school zone. Also, drivers under 18-years old CANNOT use a cell phone in any manner, including in hands-free mode, while driving through an active school zone.
• Additional officers will be on duty to ensure the safety of children and drivers in and around school zones for the next several weeks. Traffic laws and school zone speed limits will be strictly enforced.
• Allow extra driving time during the morning and afternoon hours. Traffic will be extremely heavy around the school areas. Please exercise patience and remember there will be new students and parents who are unfamiliar with the process of dropping children off and picking them up.
• Always stop for individuals using crosswalks. If a pedestrian is in a crosswalk, you must stop and yield to them until the crosswalk is cleared.
• Dropping children off in the roadway is very unsafe and also illegal.
• There will be many young children walking in and near school zones. Watch for children running between cars and into the street unexpectedly.
• Always stop for stopped school buses unless the road is divided by a median. School bus drivers can and will write down license tags and descriptions of drivers who disregard a stop sign when they are required to stop. Those tags and descriptions will be turned into law enforcement.
• Area traffic will be heavier than normal when students arrive and when they leave for the day. Use EXTREME caution in these areas.
• Speeds in school zones when active will be strictly enforced!