VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The following is a joint news release issued by Valley City Public Schools and the Valley City Police Department.

Both entities are asking for your help in addressing two important safety concerns involving students traveling to and from school each day. Recent reports have highlighted situations that place our students at risk, and we are asking all community members to partner with us in keeping children safe.

1. Stop for School Bus Stop Arms

This fall, our school bus drivers have reported a noticeable increase in vehicles driving past buses that have their stop arm extended and red lights flashing. This behavior is both extremely dangerous and illegal.

In the City of Valley City and throughout North Dakota, drivers must stop in both directions when a school bus has its stop sign extended and red lights activated. You may proceed only after the lights stop flashing and the stop arm is fully retracted.

A first violation carries a $200 fine and up to six points on your driver’s license.

To help raise awareness, we are sharing a video of a recent stop-arm violation. This example is provided solely for educational purposes:

Please help us keep students safe by stopping every time—no exceptions.

2. Strong Recommendation to Use the Jefferson Elementary Parking Lot

A few years ago, the school district paved and striped the Jefferson Elementary parking lot to create a safer and more organized area for student drop-off and pick-up. A staffed crossing guard is present before and after school to assist with pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

Despite these improvements, there have been several near-miss incidents involving students being escorted across Central Avenue outside of designated crosswalks. While it is not illegal to park on the west side of Central Avenue, doing so increases the risk to students crossing the street in unpredictable locations.

For the safety of all children, we strongly recommend that parents and guardians:

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to student safety. Working together, we can ensure that every child arrives at and leaves school safely each day.