Rain Does Not Deter Walk to School

Not even buckets of rain could stop the more than 100 students, parents and staff from walking to Plumb Elementary school Wednesday morning as part of a national event.

Principal Seymour Brown joined students, parents and teachers for the half-mile walk from Clearwater Christian Church on Keene Road to the school.

It is the largest elementary school in the district with about 800 students, Brown said. Since there are only three buses that serve Plumb, the majority of students walk or get a ride to school.

“It doesn’t stop today,” Brown said. “We’re going to continue with the education part throughout the school year.”

Walk and Roll to School Day is a national event to raise awareness about pedestrian and bicycle safety including properly using a crosswalk and cognition of traffic patterns, street signs and directions. 

Kelly O’Neal  was taking her son, Luke, who is in first grade, along for his first walk to school.  

O’Neal, who is on the Plumb PTA, organized the event for the school.

She said she typically drives Luke to school but said he is at a good age to learn crosswalk and pedestrian safety.

Clearwater Police officers helped ensure Luke’s and all the other students’ safety, blocking traffic at intersections and following along to keep rush hour traffic at slow speeds. 

Joe Nelson, a crossing guard at Lakeview and Keene Road for nine years, tried to stay dry for the rush of walkers.

“We don’t get this type of group normally,” Nelson said, adding that he typically crosses about 35 students in the morning.

Nelson appreciates the effort to educate students and parents about safe crossing.

“You get them trained, and they do good,” Nelson said.