Conceptual plans for a “drop zone” to improve student safety on the south side of Glen Lake School were approved this week by the Glen Lake Board of Education.

The board Monday night approved plans to create diagonal short-term parking spaces and create a safe drop zone for elementary students near what’s referred to as the “superintendent’s entrance” on the south side of the K-12 complex.

Superintendent Joan Groening said in making the decision board members expressed some urgency citing the death of a young boy earlier this month at the Northwestern Michigan Fair.

“Right now we have the parking lot and although they’re not supposed to, people park their cars along the sidewalk and leave them there,” Groening said. “So, then we have children walking between parked cars which isn’t a good situation.”

Over the past several months architectural consultants have developed several different scenarios which take into consideration the different limitations at the site. One issue is the fact that the school septic system lies where the optimum site for the zone would be.

“If we were starting from scratch, we wouldn’t do it this way, but it should improve the situation dramatically,” Groening said.

The plans have been forwarded to the architect to prepare construction drawings after which they will be sent to the state for endorsement.

“It could be 15, 30 or 60 days before we hear back from the state,” Groening said. “We’re moving the process along as quickly as possible.”

After receipt of a state endorsement for the work, the project will go out for bids. If there’s a quick turnaround at the state level, the project could get underway yet this calendar year. If not, it could have to wait until spring, Groening said.

Funding for the improvement will come from the district’s sinking fund, the superintendent said.