Be sure to stop for those flashing red lights

Local public school started August 10. At Cottonwood Canyon Elementary School and Tuscany Hills Elementary School, school starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 1:45 p.m. for grades 1 through 5.

At Cottonwood Canyon, two sessions of kindergarten start at 7:45 and 10:20 a.m. At Tuscany Hills, two sessions of kindergarten start at 7:50 and 10:05 a.m.

Canyon Lake Middle School starts at 7:40 a.m. and ends at 1:57 p.m., except Wednesdays when school ends at 12:54 p.m. At Temescal Canyon High School, students start arriving for 0 period at 7:30 a.m.

That means community streets have become a lot more congested this week with school buses, parents driving their kids to school and picking them up, and teens driving themselves.

Residents are reminded that Canyon Lake follows the California state law in that, if the school bus is flashing yellow lights, it is preparing to stop to pick up children or let them off the bus. The yellow flashing lights warn drivers to slow down and prepare to stop.

When the bus flashes red lights (located at the top front and back of the bus), drivers must stop from either direction until the lights stop flashing and the children are safely across the street. The law states drivers must remain stopped as long as the red lights are flashing. According to Community Patrol Manager Jay Cregeen, this includes the larger roads like Canyon Lake Dr. The fine for failure to stop for a school bus in Canyon Lake is $100.

Be aware the same holds true for the smaller buses that pick up disabled children who get curb-to-curb busing.