Back to School Resources

How to Get Help With Supplying Students This School Year

As South Texas students head back to school we understand that finding the wiggle-room in a bank account for the required supplies can sometimes leave parents and guardians with back-to-school-blues. Those of us here at Herrman & Herrman understand that education is a child’s opportunity to succeed and we want to make sure that your scholar has the chance to shine in this fresh start to the school year.

Before we link you to some specific resources in your area we have done our research to find out how to best navigate finding the necessary supplies your student needs to return to school this Fall.

The best approach is to start off close to home and branch out from there.

Contact Your School Liaison or District Office For Assistance

Education advocates and experts agree that if your kid’s school has a family liaison, or someone in their guidance counselor office tasked with helping tackle the challenge of school supply limitations, you can always contact them to see what programs you can be linked up with. Opening up this dialogue is a good start not just for back to school needs but for whatever expenses might arise throughout the year related to education. By connecting with someone that is accessible you will help establish your connection to future opportunities for your student and also make it as easy as popping into the school’s front office.

Although speaking with someone at your child’s school is the closest in proximity it might also hit too close to home. If you would rather reach out to someone outside of your child’s environment, don’t worry. Hoping to find help with more anonymity is nothing to be ashamed of and advocates want you to know that you’re not alone. The main objective is securing the supplies for your student and it doesn’t matter who you contact specifically so long as you contact someone. By calling your school district’s main office and inquiring about any assistance opportunities you will be guided to the appropriate resource or organization that can best serve your student.

Another option is to call 211 anytime and an operator will direct you accordingly.

Donating School Supplies to Give Back

If you’re looking to give back to those who need it most this semester or if you need access to supplies, look no further. Even if their regularly scheduled donation drives have passed, it’s never too late to do your part and donate to help continue to supply all of their students who need it most.

If your wallet allows, consider contributing to one of these incredible initiatives dedicated to helping every child succeed.

(Corpus Christi)

(McAllen)

(San Antonio)

All of the efforts for quality education made possible by those groups get an A+ in our book.

Send this post to someone you know that could use the helping hand and thank you for doing your part to make sure that each kid’s new year starts off with all the supplies necessary to bring out their very best academic performance, regardless of a family’s finances.

Back To School! Make Sure Your Kids Get to School Safely!

It’s that time of year again! A magical time of the year when young children ranging in ages head back to school to learn! Summertime is over and families are slowly getting back into the routine of school. Most children travel to school privately, as in not on the school bus. That means, when school is back in session, there are a LOT of cars on the road. There are a lot more cars on the road, more specifically when school starts and when school ends, because there are multiple trips to and from school for the parents. Studies show that there are more collisions out there on the roads when school is in session versus when school is not in session. Why are there more car wrecks? Many believe the more car collisions can be attributed to more cars on the road. The more traffic on the road, the more probable it is that a car will get into a collision. If you are like most south Texas families, we value the safety and well-being of our children and loved ones. So, now that we are heading back to school, here are some pointers when traveling to and from school.

When you are traveling near a school, it is very important to not go over the posted speed limit. If you are in a school zone and the lights are flashing, you must go the posted speed limit. The rate of speed is reduced significantly when traveling near a school for a good reason: there are many children walking around the school. Children are unpredictable. We don’t know whether they are coming or going. It is important to keep a solid look out for children on the run. If you are going too fast, you may not have time to react to a child at play.

Always wear your seatbelt when the vehicle is in motion! I know that the kids are excited to jump out of the car and have a great day at school. But if you are still in ‘drive,’ the kids need to be seated and belted. It is for their own safety, no matter how eager they are to start their day.

Ride Share! I am a firm believer in taking the bus. I took the bus when I was growing up in New Jersey. I felt it was a good routine to get used to. Another alternative is to carpool. If parents for several children can coordinate, it would mean fewer cars on the road. If there are fewer cars on the road, again due to probability, there will be fewer car wrecks on the way to and from school. If you do get into a car wreck and it is due to the negligence of another person, it is important to call an attorney who specializes in personal injury law.

Driving in School Zones

• When you see a school zone sign, be prepared to decrease your speed and increase your caution. Always obey school zone speed limit signs.
• Put away your cell phone. Cell phone use is banned in active school zones in Texas, and violators face fines of up to $200 in school zones where signs are posted. Remember that other traffic fines usually double in school zones.
• Children may be at a school for hours before and after the school day. Be alert for children who might dart across the street or between vehicles.
• Watch for children gathered at bus stops and for kids walking or riding bikes along neighborhood routes to schools, especially at crosswalks. Look for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
• Remember that children may misjudge vehicle speeds and can make an incorrect decision about when it is safe to cross the street as a car is approaching.

Why Safety Matters

Many people wrongly assume that their children are completely safe when they send them off to school. After all, what could be safer than an environment in which children are monitored by responsible professionals for roughly one-third of each day? We tend to trust that we’ve hired the best bus drivers, teachers, and administrators so that everyone involved in the education process is equally committed to ensuring the safety of every child. For the most part, that trust is well-placed. Nevertheless, children are exposed to a variety of dangers at school each and every day – ranging from bullying and other crimes to accidents and the availability of drugs and alcohol. Just consider the following facts:

• According to government studies, somewhere between one-quarter to one-third of all American students report that they have been the victim of bullying in their schools. Most of this bullying comes in the form of verbal abuse, and it tends to occur with greater frequency in middle school.
• In 2013, roughly 30% of all male high school students and 19% of high school girls reported having been in at least one physical fight at school. The good news is that surveys indicate that the propensity for fighting decreases dramatically from a student’s freshman year to his or her senior year.
• 1%-2% of school-age homicides occur at school or traveling to and from school-related events.
• 22% of high school students report that illegal drugs have been offered to them at least once while they were on school grounds. While that number has been on the decline, it still indicates that drug access remains a serious concern at the nation’s schools. Moreover, a University of Michigan study from 2013 revealed that more than 36% of high school seniors reported using marijuana within the last year.
• Even the journey to and from school can be risky. In the last thirteen years, 119 student pedestrians have perished in crashes involving school transportation, with almost two-thirds of those victims having been hit by school buses. In that same time period, 1,222 school transportation accidents occurred.

All of that paints a picture of a school system that is anything but completely safe. In addition to the potential for accidents both on and off grounds, bullying, violent crime, illegal drug access and use, and fighting remain threats to our children’s safety. Even technology poses a threat, as things like cyberbullying and sexting continue to plague our children. Roughly 24% of all high school students report that they have engaged in sexting at one time or another – often as the result of pressure from a significant other.

Protect Children on the Roads

The Texas Department of Transportation offers some important back to school safety tips that can help make our children safer on the roads to and from school. With 663 crashes occurring in school zones over the course of the last year, these tips are more important than ever:

• Always use the designated pickup and drop-off zones when driving children to and from school.
• Never use your cell phone in a school zone. It is against the law and could result in a heavy fine.
• When driving in school zones, be cognizant of children who might be crossing or walking between vehicles. Obey the reduced speed limits in these areas.
• Teach your children to look both ways before they cross the road, and to always use the correct crosswalks. Instruct them to obey the instructions given by crossing guards.
• If children are riding bicycles to school, make them wear helmets.

Talk to Your Children about Violence and Peer Pressure

Schools can be stressful environments, and fighting and other forms of violence can occur. At the same time, however, it is important to ensure that your child understands that there is no need to live in fear at his or her school. While the statistics might seem high when it comes to fighting and peer pressure-related problems, serious injuries and deaths are rare. With that said, you should have a serious conversation about violence and peer pressure.

• Impress upon your child the need for showing everyone at his or her school – classmates and teachers alike – the respect they deserve.
• Talk to your child about bullying, and make sure that he understands that adults need to be informed when this type of activity takes place.
• Maintain open lines of communication so that your child feels comfortable letting you know that someone has offered illegal drugs at school.
• Teach your children to respect technology. Sexting, cyberbullying, and other types of tech abuse need to be avoided. You might also want to consider monitoring your children’s use of cell phones and computers to gain insight into how they use technology. Though you may be reluctant to intrude in their private affairs, children need this oversight.

In a perfect world, children would never be at risk in seemingly safe environments like schools. The reality is, however, that the nation’s children face a variety of different risks each day. By following these tips and helping your children to make sound decisions, you can help to keep them safe from many different types of harm. If your child does suffer harm due to an accident, violence, or other harmful events, be sure to seek the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your options.

School Bus Safety

The Texas Department of Public Safety says more than 40,000 school buses transport 1.5 million Texas children every school day.

To do your part for school bus safety:

• Expect to see school buses, including activity buses, on the road on school days, before, after and during school hours.
• Remember that, by law, a school bus will be slower. The maximum speed for a school bus on a Texas highway that is not an interstate is 50 miles per hour. On an interstate, the maximum speed limit for a school bus is 55 miles per hour.
• Stop when a school bus stops. Texas law requires motorists to stop for flashing red lights on a school bus, regardless of which direction you’re headed. You can move your vehicle once the bus has moved, the red lights stop flashing or the bus driver signals it’s OK to pass. In 2013, Texas Highway Patrol troopers issued 566 tickets for passing stopped school buses. Passing a stopped school bus can result in a $1,250 fine.
• Keep in mind that school bus operators are required by law to stop at railroad crossings, even if there is no train in sight. The driver is required to listen and to look in both directions before proceeding. Do not ever tailgate a school bus, but particularly when approaching a railroad crossing.
• Teach your school-age kids to be safe around school buses. Children should stand far back from an approaching school bus while waiting at the bus stop. They should wait until the driver says it is safe before boarding the bus. When walking in front, behind or on either side of a school bus, a child should remain at least 10 feet from the bus so the driver can see them.

Car Accidents in School Zones

Distractions, negligence, and lack of familiarity with traffic patterns can lead to car accidents in school zones.

In 2013, the TxDOT says, 625 vehicle accidents occurred in school zones in Texas, resulting in two deaths and 112 serious injuries. In August and September, there were 104 collisions in school zones. The most common contributing factors to these accidents were driver inattention, failure to control speed and failure to yield the right-of-way at stop signs.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 490 school-age children are killed each year as they ride to or from school. Four of them, on average, are on school buses. Seventy-five students are killed each year while walking to or from school, and 21 are fatally injured while riding bicycles.

Accidents Increase as Days Get Shorter

The changing seasons will make matters worse, reducing visibility. Texas’ monthly crash statistics show a significant jump in October and high rates through the end of the year.

As the autumn sun sits lower in the sky, its glare makes it harder for drivers to see during afternoon commutes. As the days grow shorter and the time changes, some of us will send our kids off to school in the dark and those who participate in after-school activities will come home in the dark, as well. Darkness increases the potential for car accidents and for pedestrians or bicyclists to be hit by cars.

Returning to school means it is time to be on our best behavior, as students and drivers.

Adopting safe driving habits now will help protect our children, friends, neighbors, and others as the new school year begins and for long afterward.

If your child has been harmed in an accident caused by another motorist in Corpus Christi, let an experienced car accident lawyer review the specifics of the accident and explain your legal rights.

When you are hurt by the negligence of another person, my best piece of advice I can give is to call an attorney that is skilled and experienced in the field of personal injury law. Herrman and Herrman, PLLC has been servicing the South Texas community in personal injury matter for over 25 years. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Herrman and Herrman, PLLC, please visit our website.

About Herrman & Herrman Personal Injury Lawyers

With over 100 years of combined experience among the legal team of Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C., our Texas personal injury attorneys have successfully resolved over 20,000 cases. When representing injured Texas residents, we fight for justice against wrongdoing and aggressively pursue the best resolution to complex personal injury claims.

If you or a loved one was injured, please contact us for a free initial consultation and case evaluation. Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C., is a locally based law firm focused on holding negligent individuals and companies accountable for their wrongdoing. We are not a personal injury mill that advertises nationwide. We provide individualized advocacy in attending to all aspects of claims that involve. Our firm has offices in the following locations: Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi South Side, Brownsville, McAllen, San Antonio, Houston, and Ft. Worth, TX.

We remain by our clients’ side, handling all aspects of their claims and attending to all legal, medical and financial needs. That dedication is combined with experience, legal knowledge, and insight from a former insurance adjuster and several former insurance defense attorneys. Whether our clients are suffering from physical pain from an accident or the emotional grief of death, we treat clients with compassion. We put their mind at ease during difficult times by answering their questions concerning the length of their claim, medical bills, financial compensation and their overall need for a lawyer.