Concerns from citizens have led Gainesboro to explore options once again on blocking an entrance to Gainesboro Elementary on Highway 56.
Alderman Tom Goetz said the town has used cones to block the entrance for child safety during drop-off and pick-up times. Goetz said the cones have not worked as well as the town thought.
“Some of the residents, including myself, have expressed that it’s confusing on the highway,” Goetz said. “You don’t really know what all the cones are about. It doesn’t tell you not to enter. It doesn’t say detour, so people go around the corner anyway.”
Goetz said the entrance also has a sign that says “Welcome to Gainesboro”, but during school hours, people cannot enter. Goetz said the town is going to explore multiple options to see what is the best approach for blocking the entrance.
“Some of the suggestions, and there will be more dialogue about what we should do, is we will put up a detour sign to lead you down a block or so, because also if you are coming to Gainesboro for the first time, your Google Maps will want you to turn right there where we have it blocked,” Goetz said. “So that’s a little confusing for people that have not visited us before.”
Goetz said the town will also look at funneling all the cars onto one road instead of two roads in the subdivision leading up to the school. Goetz said addressing the entrance for child safety has been an issue for several years.
“It’s just the school, when it was built, and I don’t even know what year it was built, things have just changed since COVID and how people take kids to and from school, and it was a problem that was unforeseen back when the school was built,” Goetz said.
The current Gainesboro Elementary School opened in 2007. Goetz said the town is open to ideas from the community.
