Paul Revere Middle School’s Mighty Team

By Dani Shear & Bruce Jugan | Special to the Palisadian-Post

In 2003 the unthinkable happened: Carlos Macario, a Paul Revere Charter Middle School sixth grader, was struck and killed by a car at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Allenford.

In 2010 Julia Siegler, a 13-year-old private school student, was hit by a car and killed at an intersection close to Revere’s campus.

During the 2014-2015 school year, three students—in separate incidents—were struck by cars in the neighborhood after school dismissal.

Fast-forward to 2015.

Enter Tom Iannucci, Revere’s new principal who is a man not only committed to excellence in education but also passionate about student safety and reducing school-related traffic.

Iannucci has established a committee of parents and neighbors who share his passion to reduce traffic and improve child safety.

The Paul Revere Traffic Committee meets weekly and includes administrators Justin Koretz and Lori Vogel; parents Matthew Rodman, Kimberley Brame, Lisa Meyers-Kunis, Dani Shear and Behnanz Naeim (who is also a board member of the parent support group PRIDE); Andrew Wolfberg, a neighbor who lives on Allenford; and Bruce Jugan, a parent and member of the Brentwood Homeowners Association board of directors.

The team is working with LAUSD to fill empty seats on existing buses.

This is a “win-win-win” because there is no additional cost to the district, it improves student safety, and it reduces traffic.

The Paul Revere team is also arranging for charter parent-paid yellow buses for local communities—from the Palisades to Westchester and Venice.

More students on buses means less car congestion.

The math is pretty simple.

In Los Angeles’ car culture, Revere’s Transportation Team is asking parents to consider carpooling.

They have added incentives by offering rewards to students who arrive in cars with two or more passengers.

“Be cool…Carpool!” is a morning mantra.

The team is getting support from Councilmember Mike Bonin’s office.

Bonin and LAUSD School Board President Steve Zimmer are helping to open doors and get organizations to assist.

The reality is that Paul Revere is an excellent school, and students from around the Southland compete through a lottery to gain admission.

Consequently, students from 99 different zip code areas attend the school and this causes traffic congestion.

Finally, the pace on the roads in LA is often manic.

Drivers are in such a rush.

Paul Revere’s Safety and Transportation Team is asking parents to take a collective breath and slow down.

After all, parents have such precious cargo.