VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — As school starts back around Central Florida, local agencies are focused on making sure kids get to school safely. In Volusia County, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office is starting a new school traffic safety volunteer program.

What You Need To Know

  • The Volusia County school traffic safety program was created in response to the death of a fourth grade student who was struck and killed by a vehicle exiting Sugar Mill Elementary School in May

  • The fatal incident prompted both county and city officials to evaluate school traffic safety needs

  • Volunteers in the program will be trained by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and assigned a school of their choice

The program was created in response to the death of Shaolan “Lana” Kamaly, a fourth-grade student at Sugar Mill Elementary School who was struck and killed by a driver as she rode her bike to school on May 24.

“I saw the video of what occurred that tragic day,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. “You had somebody speeding through the school who didn’t stop at a stop sign.”

The fatal incident prompted both county and city officials to evaluate school traffic safety needs and take action. Chitwood said in addition to crossing guards, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office is starting a new traffic safety program. 

“Based out of that tragedy, what can we change?” he said. “My idea was, let’s see if we can get parents and grandparents and guardians to volunteer.” 

The school traffic safety program works like this: Volunteers are trained by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and are then assigned to the school of their choice to help cover the areas that crossing guards can’t.

“School crossing guards cover the major intersections,” Chitwood said. “They cover the major crosswalks. There are some places when you walk to school — there are side streets there that it’s impossible to cover.”

He said only a handful of people have applied for the program so far. He said his agency can’t do this alone and is calling on more community members to help.

“We all have to take a look at our schools and say, ‘What is the best way to protect our children?’” he said. “The best way to protect our children is for all of us to come together and say, ‘Hey, you know, I can volunteer an hour a day.’”

Chitwood said volunteers can choose their own hours, days and schools that work best for them.

Residents who live near Sugar Mill Elementary said they think the volunteer program is a good idea, and hope it will encourage people to slow down.

“My husband and I both walk this path every single morning with our dogs, and we’ve seen some drivers that just, they don’t take any precautions,” Port Orange resident Amy Hyder said. “They fly through here. And at least if we had someone to flag and say, ‘Hey, slow down,’ that would be a good thing.”

Chitwood said at the end of the day, it’s about drivers following traffic rules and the community coming together to keep children safe.

“School safety starts with all of us,” he said. “Every single one of us. Whether we’re 80 or we’re 8, it’s all our responsibility to make sure that our children are safe.”

Chitwood said he’s also hiring 10 new crossing guard positions. To apply to be a volunteer for the school traffic safety program or for more information, email esommers@volusiasheriff.gov. 

Reagan Ryan is a 2023 — 2025 Report for America Corps Member, covering the environment and climate across Central Florida for Spectrum News 13. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.