Traffic alert: Here’s when Sacramento-area schools start classes again after summer break

Jacqueline Pinedo
·3 min read

Summer vacation is quickly coming to an end for Sacramento-area kids.

Most school districts in the region have start dates beginning the second or third week of August, which may cause congestion for drivers during their morning commute and afternoon commutes.

Sacramento Police Department’s traffic unit is assigning officers to monitor traffic and pedestrian safety as students return to school, the department told The Bee in an emailed statement.

Here are scheduled school district start dates and school traffic safety tips to follow when you’re on the road:

When do schools go back to school?

Below are the scheduled first day of school start dates for the 2023-2024 school year, for districts in the area:

Sacramento State starts classes on Aug. 28, but faculty return on the 23rd for the fall semester.

Driving in a school zone

There is a lot of activity in a school zone area: kids are crossing the streets, school buses and parents are dropping students off.

“No matter how children get to school, it is crucial that everyone pays attention, looks out for one another, and takes these necessary safety precautions,” according to the police department’s statement.

Below are tips provided by the Sacramento police for drivers and parents who will be behind the wheel during back to school:

  • Traffic laws require drivers maintain a 25 mph speed limit in school zone areas. However, some school zones may require speed limits of 15 mph.

  • Don’t text and drive.

  • Keep an eye out for school buses and familiarize yourself with the rules of the road when driving near a school bus. “Overhead flashing yellow lights mean you should prepare to stop, hazards flashing yellow lights means drive with caution and overhead flashing red lights means stop. The law requires you to stop from either direction until children are safely across the street and the red lights stop flashing.”

  • If you’re crossing the street, use a crosswalk at an intersection with a stop light or sign. Also try to make eye contact with a driver before crossing the street even if you have the right of way.

Below are tips for parents from the Sacramento police as they prepare to send their children off to school:

  • Buffer some extra time in the morning for your commute, or even plan your route ahead of time.

  • Remain vigilant during the drop off and pick up hours. Refrain from distractions like: texting, talking on the phone, eating, or grooming yourself.

  • For parents whose children will be commuting to school with a bike or on foot, take some time to prepare them of the road they will be navigating and teach them about traffic signals. If you can ask them not to use earbuds when they going to school.

  • For children who are using the bus, remind them to stay five steps away from the curb and look in both directions before crossing the street.

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