Rockwood Anti-Pollution Policy Posed by CCL Students is Adopted

After fourth graders at Rockwood School District's Center for Creative Learning (CCL) in October requested the St. Louis County anti-idling ordinance be enforced at all Rockwood locations, the district's Board of Education directors took the recommendation to heart. 

The students presented reasons why enforcing the ordinance should decrease harmful ozone outcomes and increase health. Rockwood's board of directors apparently agreed, and approved a freshened Rockwood policy to that end at Thursday's board meeting.

Those same CCL students and teachers returned Thursday to witness the approval.

CCL is a two-campus Rockwood facility at which qualifying students throughout the district receive a once-weekly accelerated program. The set of CCL students recommending this anti-idling policy were in the CCL "There’s No Zone Like the Ozone" class.

The new recommendation restricts the amount of time vehicles will be allowed to idle while on district campuses, through updating existing Rockwood Vehicle Idling Policy No. 1830.

Some of the regulation adjustments contained in the policy include:

1. Bus drivers should attempt to turn off buses as soon as possible at school locations.
2. Bus drivers shouldn't restart their bus until it's time to depart parking lots, and they have a clear path to exit.
3. School principals should establish procedures through which bus drivers' departing take precedent over visitors' leaving at the same time.
4. Buses shouldn't idle while waiting for students on field trips, sporting events or extracurricular activities, except in extreme weather conditions.
5. In cold weather, Rockwood will provide bus drivers a warm location at which to wait.

In their fall presentation, CCL students noted how many times they witnessed parents sitting in pick-up lines with their vehicles idling. They said they would keep reminding parents and neighbors to try to cut back on that contribution to pollution as well.