The county says it reviewed several school zones. Families near Lake Asbury Elementary and Junior High found out when the signs came down.
- Clay County removed the Henley Road school zone and shortened the one on Sandridge Road, near the Lake Asbury schools.
- It happened last week. Parents say there was no email, no warning, and the schools weren’t told.
- The county says a crossing guard will be added at the Sandridge light.
Last week, Clay County took down the school zone on Henley Road and shortened the one on Sandridge Road, right by Lake Asbury Elementary and Lake Asbury Junior High.
Parents say it happened with no notice. No email went out. No signs warned them ahead of time. And when they called the elementary school, they say the school hadn’t been told either.
What changed
On Sandridge Road, the “End School Zone” sign now sits before the crosswalk at the Glen Haven entrance. That crossing used to be inside the zone. Now it isn’t.
On Henley Road, parents say the school zone signs are coming down completely, and the flashing lights near Winn Dixie have been removed. Some say it’s not just here. One parent reported the Doctors Inlet zone on County Road 220 was also cut back, stopping short of the College Drive light.
“Cars are going to keep going 45 while kids are walking on the sidewalks.”
What the county says
Parents who called the Sheriff’s Office say they were told the county “reviewed multiple school zones,” and that Henley was one that got cut. They were also told a crossing guard would be posted at the light on Sandridge, but that Henley Road is no longer a school zone at all.
One parent said a friend spoke with a lieutenant, who said that by “his numbers” the crossing looked fine, and that Florida doesn’t require a crossing guard or a school zone.
A few things worth knowing
Turning the lights off is not the same as removing the zone. A school zone still applies even when the flashing lights are off. But once the signs come down, the zone is gone. That’s what parents describe on Henley.
This is the county’s call. Sandridge (CR 739B) and Henley (CR 739) are county roads. So the decision belongs to Clay County, not the state, not the Sheriff’s Office, and not the school district. State law also doesn’t require crossing guards; those are decided case by case.
We also checked recent county records. The Clay County Commission and Planning Commission meetings we reviewed don’t mention the Sandridge or Henley zones at all. Those meetings were about road widening, rezonings, and the budget.
Who to ask
- Clay County Traffic Operations / Engineering sets school zones on county roads. Call 904.541.5280, or division coordinator Jesse Burford at 904.529.3654.
- Your District 5 County Commissioner and School Board member can request a traffic study.
