Section 118.09. Safety zones.

 

(1)  Every school district maintaining a school outside the corporate limits of a city or village shall provide at the school site a zone which will provide safety for pupils from vehicular traffic during loading and unloading of pupils at the school. The zone may consist of a widening toward or into the schoolyard of the traveled portion of the adjacent highway so as to permit a vehicle to stop in the extended area completely clear of such traveled portion or may be constructed wholly within the schoolyard with connecting roads to the adjacent highway. The zone and approaches from the highway for use of vehicles shall be graveled or hard-surfaced.

(2)  The school district shall cooperate with the agency of the town, county or state having jurisdiction of the highway to the end that matters pertaining to the highway will be properly protected. Contracts for the necessary materials and construction and maintenance, including snow removal, of zones may be entered into with the county or town or with private persons. If the contracting party does not have jurisdiction over the highway, the contract shall be approved by the agency of the state, county or town having jurisdiction over the highway before any work is commenced thereunder.

(3)  All loading and unloading of pupils at the school, whether transported by a public or private vehicle, shall take place in the safety zone. The operator of a vehicle under contract to transport pupils to the school shall have necessary police powers so that pupils will be properly safeguarded in loading and unloading at the zone and while the operator's vehicle is approaching and leaving the zone. The operator shall first alight before loading or unloading pupils at the zone, and while at stops on the operator's highway route to load and unload pupils, the operator shall exhibit the vehicle's stop sign.

(4)  Private schools shall comply with this section to the same extent as school districts.

1993 a. 492 .