With Student Safety a Concern, Newfields School Board Proposes Traffic, Pedestrian Design Changes

NEWFIELDS – Students walking to Newfields Elementary School cross two lanes of traffic, twice, using crosswalks located across from the Fire Department.

Cars and public safety vehicles drive around the building, navigating narrow pathways with numerous blind spots. Parking is limited during school hours and community events, creating an additional concern.

And on many mornings, eastbound drivers on Piscassic Road (Route 87) encounter significant glare and often have difficulty seeing students and police officers, even at the posted 20 mph limit.

“The school faces well-documented challenges with traffic flow during pick-up and drop-off, as well as pedestrian safety for students who walk to school,” said Dr. Bobby Kelly, Chair of the Newfields School Board. “These conditions have existed for years and warrant thoughtful, long-term solutions.”

To address these issues, the School Board created a Safety Committee in April to develop potential solutions. The Committee, including community members, parents, a teacher, Principal Suzie Griffith, and SAU 16 Assistant Officer for Student Services Ellen Riiska, began work in May.

The Safety Committee identified several guiding goals for its work, including:

• Find immediate, effective solutions that reduce interactions between students and vehicles.
• Focus on key areas such as crosswalk safety/visibility and driveway/parking line of sight.
• Ensure the needs of students, staff, and community are heard and respected.
• Ensure that the final proposal is fiscally responsible and respects Newfields taxpayers.

Safety Committee members took a fresh look at long-standing issues, while actively seeking stakeholder feedback to ensure the final project reflected priorities in the community.

“We have been so encouraged by the response. People have been ready, willing, and able to help protect the safety of our students,” Riiska said.

The Safety Committee worked collaboratively to create a series of recommendations. Key elements include:

• Improving overall safety by relocating drop-off/pick-up to the rear of the school, establishing a one-way traffic pattern to move vehicles away from the building, and clearly designating parking spaces.
• Improving accessibility, especially for those with physical challenges. These include an accessible ramp at the rear of the school, relocating the crosswalk, and adding a sidewalk ramp and crossing light.

Dr. Kelly said he recently arrived early at Newfields Elementary School to pick up his daughter for an appointment and found a line of cars already waiting along the roadway for after-school pickup. With little room to pass and access the adjacent parking area, he ultimately had to step out of his vehicle and ask another driver to move so he could park.

“The school does an excellent job managing a difficult configuration,” said Dr. Bobby Kelly, Chair of the Newfields School Board. “But there are practical limits to what operational efforts can accomplish when the physical layout itself creates constraints.”

Parking is limited and further complicated during daytime school events and assemblies, which attract parents and community members.

The Newfields School Board is preparing a request to issue a bond of up to $500,000 to complete upgrades. The Board will hold a public hearing on the request on Jan. 14, 2026, during which the public may comment. The bond request will appear on the warrant for the Annual Deliberative Session on Thursday, Feb. 5 (with a snow date of Friday, Feb. 6).

The final approved version of the article will appear on the election ballot on Tuesday, March 10. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Newfields Town Hall.

If approved, construction work would take place in the summer months, allowing the project to begin in Fiscal Year 2027 and be completed by the first day of the 2026-2027 school year.

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