Issaquah School Supt. Steve Rasmussen has it right when he says, “I love beginnings.”

This year, perhaps more than ever, that describes the situation in both the Issaquah and Lake Washington school districts, both of which serve students and families in this area.

Both are doing the right things in a tough economy.

As noted in a Q&A on page 9 of this issue, Rasmussen rightly praises the Issaquah community for stepping up to provide money for a new elementary science curriculum. As he noted, parents and the community spoke loudly, saying, “We don’t want our science curriculum to go any longer without meeting state standards.”

Beyond moving ahead, the district should be praised for not falling behind, either. With the state cutting money for education, Issaquah has been able to use careful planning and budget reserves to keep the schools functioning at the high level the community has come to expect.

Rasmussen also notes that the Legislature may not be done with cutting money for schools so the district, wisely, is “watching every penny we have.”

It’s no less the situation in the Lake Washington School District, which serves the Sammamish area. Not only are Plateau schools getting ready to start a new school year, but also they – and parents and students – must prepare for the following year when the school configuration will change. When the school bell rings in 2012, elementary schools will be grades K-5, middle schools 6-8 and high schools 9-12.

Because of those coming changes, Supt. Chip Kimball wisely has district personnel meeting already to determine the best practices for the new middle-school system. That means such things as making sure those students have personal connection in the new system to agreeing on the number of minutes each week for each core subject.

One more school note –The ringing of school bells tells us kids are back in class. It also should tell drivers to slow down. School zones – with a 20 m.p.h. speed limit – are there for a reason. They save lives.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 20 m.p.h. is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 30 m.p.h.

AAA has some other good advice. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing. Don’t rush into and out of driveways. Expect pedestrians on the sidewalk, especially around schools and in neighborhoods.

Stop at stop signs. It seems self-evident, but research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones and neighborhoods.

Watch for bikes. Children on bicycles are often unpredictable so expect the unexpected.

It may be tempting to drive around a stopped school bus, but not only is it dangerous, it’s against the law. In Washington, school districts can now install and operate automated school bus safety cameras to detect traffic violations involving overtaking or meeting a school bus.

If you can’t or won’t meet these minimum safety rules, at least do kids one favor: drive a route that doesn’t take you past a school.

– Craig Groshart, editor, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter