School starts soon

School starts in less than one week

The 2018-2019 school year is about to begin. Okeechobee County students go back to school on Monday, August 13, 2018, along with many private schools starting on or about the same time. The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office urges motorists, parents/guardians and children to follow the listed safety tips:

Prepare to leave for school a few minutes early to avoid the rush to school; Watch out for children in school zones and streets close to schools; Pay close attention to school buses. Remember, when a school bus stops and turns on its flashing lights and extends its signs, you must also stop unless there is an unpaved median of at least five feet, a raised median or a physical barrier separating your vehicle from the stopped school bus; Remember to slow down through school zones. Pay close attention to the crossing guards at those intersections; Children should always be instructed to catch the eye and attention of the bus driver when walking in front of the school bus. Sheriff’s deputies will be monitoring many of the school zones and associated traffic corridors during the first few weeks of school. Citation amounts vary and could cost you hundreds of dollars. By working together, we can all help make this a safe and happy school year.

Michele Bell, PIO