Jim Thorpe Area School District and borough officials will meet Tuesday to address mounting safety concerns about traffic congestion during student pickup and dropoff at LB Morris Elementary School.

Emergency services officials have raised alarms about the current situation on 10th Street, saying the congestion prevents rapid response to emergencies.

“The cops don’t like it,” director Gerald Strubinger said during Wednesday’s school board workshop. “The fire and emergency people certainly don’t like it, because they can’t get in and out of there real quickly if there’s an emergency.”

The problem, officials said, extends beyond street congestion. Parents lining up to pick up students are creating hazards for emergency responders trying to access the school itself.

“During the afternoon hours of pickup, parents are parking on 10th Street and it’s pretty narrow,” Jim Thorpe Police Chief Joe Schatz said. “It poses challenges because it’s tough to navigate. It’s only maybe a 10-15 minute window but it could create a potential hazard and we’re looking forward to working with the district to come up with a solution.”

The district is exploring a significant infrastructure project that could fundamentally change traffic flow at the school.

“We’re looking to take where the circle is behind LB, where the cars currently go in there, and make it a road that would go across the field and hit Oak Street,” Superintendent Robert Presley said.

The district is moving forward with obtaining engineering proposals for the project. Presley indicated he would reach out to EI Associates, which previously provided plans for the work, though the district is considering obtaining multiple proposals.

While the estimated project price tag is $160,000 to $200,000, the investment, Presley said, could pay for itself through operational savings. Completing sidewalks along the new route would allow students currently bused to school to walk instead, potentially eliminating two bus runs at $70,000 each annually.

“If you’re able to even remove one bus, but you can probably remove two buses at $140,000 per year, that’s a huge savings per year versus a one-time payment,” Presley said.

District officials confirmed that students could walk as far as Second Street, the same radius used for high school students. Approximately 115 students could potentially become walkers instead of bus riders.

District officials stressed Wednesday that the traffic problem has proved resistant to simple solutions.

“In all honesty, it’s been that way for years,” Lori Leinhard, director of security and transportation, said. “Before we flipped it and switched parents from the back to the front, the traffic was out on North Street.”

Tuesday’s meeting at the borough building, Presley said, will include the mayor, police chief and borough manager, along with school district representatives.

If the district moves forward with creating walkable routes for more students, officials acknowledge the need for additional safety measures.

“I would suggest hiring a second crossing guard,” Leinhard said. “If you’re going to have all these young children leaving that building, I think you’re still going to save money by doing it. It’s always better to add another layer of safety.”

The crossing guard currently earns $15 per hour and works approximately three hours per day covering both morning and afternoon sessions.

Strubinger noted the current crossing guard’s own safety is at risk in the existing configuration.

“I wouldn’t want to go out on that North Street with all that congestion right there,” he said. “Her life is at risk there, to tell you the truth. Matter of fact, I got rear ended there.”