Too many near misses with vehicles have raised concerns about pedestrian safety near an elementary school in Oak Harbor, according to an Oak Harbor parent.

Christine Clardy, mother to an 8-year-old student at Olympic View Elementary, thinks more could be done to improve the safety of crosswalks at Northeast Regatta Drive and Northeast Fifth Avenue after a vehicle nearly hit her and her daughter. Inconsistent signage on the property may be contributing to the problem.

Shortly after dismissal on Nov. 18, Clardy and her daughter began crossing Regatta from the school grounds, believing it safe to do so. The nearest vehicle, approaching from their left, stopped, and another in the far lane coming from their right appeared to slow. Halfway across, Clardy realized that was not the case and that the vehicle may have been driving too fast instead.

“I pulled my daughter back just in time,” she recalled. “The car stopped less than two feet in front of us.”

Neon signs with pedestrian-activated flashing lights are installed at each of the crosswalks, which are located in a school zone with a 20 mph speed limit. The school district confirmed there are crossing guards stationed at each of the crosswalks after dismissal.

Despite these safety measures, this incident is not the first of its kind there. Clardy said such close calls happen at the Regatta and Fifth crosswalks as often as a “couple times a week,” sometimes “daily.”

Principal Sara Lucero acknowledged similar incidents at these crosswalks in an email distributed school-wide on Nov. 24.

“Over the last few weeks, we have seen several close calls involving cars leaving campus and pedestrians,” she wrote. “As you exit campus, especially at Regatta and Fifth, please be mindful of students and families crossing the street. As a reminder, the exit at Fifth and Regatta is a right turn only to help ensure the safety of families crossing at Fifth and to help with traffic flow.”

Vehicles exiting Olympic View can do so from two points. Signage differs at each although the flow of traffic remains the same: left turns are prohibited.

Notably, the exit at the intersection of Regatta and Fifth lacks a stop sign, but has a sign reading “right turns only” and a faded right-turn pavement marking. The other exit has a stop sign, a sign visually indicating left turns are prohibited and a bright white right-turn pavement marking.

Vehicles incorrectly turning left from the exit point at Regatta and Fifth may be at risk of turning into pedestrian traffic, as the distance between the parking lot and the crosswalk is short. Clardy has seen drivers incorrectly turn left out of these right-turn-only exits.

Initial statements from the city and the school district contradict each other about whose responsibility these signs are.

“The signs at the exit points of the parking lot are the responsibility of the property owner, so in this case, Oak Harbor Public Schools,” City Engineer Alex Warner said.

In contrast, a joint statement issued by Lucero and Superintendent Michelle Kuss-Cybula acknowledged a degree of collaboration between the district and the city regarding sign placement, but said “questions regarding variations in signage … should be directed to the city, as they manage engineering decisions for public roadways.”

But Warner explained in his statement that although “the city’s responsibility extends within the public right-of-way” — including roadways and sidewalks — the signs are located in the school’s parking lot, which is considered private property.

In a follow-up statement, the district acknowledged this but did not explain why signage at the two exit points differs if vehicles can only turn right at each.

“Signs on our property are our responsibility but when we place a sign, it is in consideration of the flow of traffic, as determined by the city,” it read. “(The signs) are placed at different exit points, which is why the options for exiting differ from each other.”

With construction at the new Forest Vista Learning Center, formerly the Hand-in-Hand Early Learning Center/HomeConnection, set to conclude in the summer or fall of 2026, vehicle and foot traffic on Regatta is likely to increase.

In preparation, Warner said the city coordinated with the school district to install a full three-way stop at Regatta and East Whidbey Avenue, and another crosswalk at the south end of Olympic View. A new crosswalk with flashing lights is planned for Northeast 8th Avenue. School zone signage and flashing, 20 mph speed limit signs will be relocated to extend the school zone to include the new school building.

No changes are planned for the crosswalks at Regatta and 5th. Clardy is unsure what exactly should be done to improve their safety, but she wonders about the effectiveness of installing things like a four-way stop, a full traffic light or speed bumps.

There is a stop sign, a pavement marking and a sign visually prohibiting left turns at the first exit point from the parking lot, pictured here, but the signage at the other exit differs.

Screenshot from Google Maps An aerial view of the crosswalks causing concern, located in close proximity to an exit point from the school parking lot.