A car accident in Riverside on a school morning in October is producing a call to action by Highland Schools officials.

The accident, which happened October 21 on Highway 22 west of Highway 218, resulted in a 16-year-old Riverside resident and a 12-year-old being transported by ambulance to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Road safety along Highway 22 and also further south along Highway 218, where the high school is located, was a hot topic among School Board members at their meeting Monday night.

Ken Crawford, Superintendent of Schools, told the board that he called the Iowa Department of Transportation to discuss the safety of Highway 22 where it intersects with Highway 218. Highland Elementary School is located just two miles west of the intersection and the high school is about five miles south off Highway 218.

Crawford said he would like to see the speed limit on that area of Highway 22 reduced from 55 miles per hour to 45.

Brad Lauderman, a traffic operations technician with Iowa DOT, told Crawford the state needed to conduct a study looking at the speed of vehicles traveling on that stretch of Highway 22.

“He said he received numerous calls from parents,” Crawford said.

Discussions are also likely to involve the City of Riverside and Mayor Allen Schneider. The city constantly electronically monitors the speed of vehicles inside city limits.

The Iowa State Patrol stated in its report that the accident happened when an 85-year-old Hills resident attempted to make a left-hand turn onto Enterprise Drive, near the Kum & Go convenience store and gas station, without yielding to oncoming traffic.

The situation on Highway 22 launched the board into a discussion of Highway 218 near the high school, which has a speed limit of 65 mph.

“Coming off that interstate, you’re coming in hot to make sure somebody doesn’t hit you from behind,” Crawford said.

The board approved requesting more than $100,000 in modified supplement funds from the Iowa Department of Education. The district qualifies for $94,493 in Open Enrollment Out funds and $6,070 in Limited English Proficient students instruction.

The district did not qualify for increased enrollment funds because Highland’s certified enrollment dropped from 609.1 to 588.1 this year.

The board also approved, on second reading, a number of changes on district policies.

The board approved a number of appointments, including Tyler Thomann as maintenance and grounds director; Cheryl Simmons, bus driver; Hunter McCullough, night custodian.

The board heard a presentation from Denise Roth, a TAG teacher and language arts instructor, and also accepted a donation from Hills Bank for the district’s technology fund.