GREENACRES, Fla. — Parents living across from Greenacres Elementary School in Palm Beach County are sounding the alarm about a dangerous situation they say could turn deadly at any moment— children have no safe way to cross busy Haverhill Road to get to school.
WATCH:
Brandon and Lynn Pote reached out to WPTV reporter Christy Waite after growing increasingly worried about student safety. The couple lives directly across from the elementary school, where the speed limit is 40 mph with no school zone designation or crosswalk in sight. The nearest guarded crosswalks are located much farther away, near Greenacres Christian Academy and at 10th and Swain.
"Right here on Haverhill there's no school zone or crosswalk. It's 40 mph. How can a kid go across the road?" Pote asked.
The situation is particularly challenging for families like the Potes, who are zoned for Greenacres Elementary but don't qualify for bus service. This forces them to either walk or drive across the dangerous stretch of road daily. The couple explained in an email that they have to carry their developmentally delayed daughter across the street because she cannot walk fast enough to cross safely.
When WPTV visited the family on Haverhill Road, the danger became immediately apparent. A car crash occurred before the interview even started. Video footage captured heart-stopping moments— a child nearly being struck by a passing car, families desperately dodging traffic and children on e-bikes and scooters attempting the risky crossing.
"This road right here is a dangerous road," Pote said. "If the kids are going to school or not going to school, they speed up and down this road 24/7."
The family is calling for immediate action before tragedy strikes, specifically requesting a crosswalk and school zone designation at Haverhill and Carver.
"Try to put a crosswalk in right here, and make it a school zone before someone gets hurt or killed," Pote urged.
Neighbor Omar Trevino shares these safety concerns and explained why the existing crosswalk near Greenacres Christian Academy isn't a realistic solution– it's simply too far from Greenacres Elementary for families to use regularly.
"We need a crosswalk and a stoplight. You can't cross," Trevino said. "Cars can't cross, much less children."
WPTV has contacted both the county and school district seeking solutions and is waiting for their response.
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