Tombstone High School sits on the edge of town, right off of Arizona Highway 80, a location Principal Robert Devere fears may lead to a serious accident because of a combination of the center turn lane’s placement, a downhill slope and the speed limit.

“I’m real worried about that intersection, there is going to be a serious accident and I am afraid that somebody could get killed,” Devere said.

Superintendent Ronald Hennings has met on and off with the Arizona Department of Transportation and the City of Tombstone during the past two years, trying to find a solution to the school’s problem. The most recent meeting was last year.

ADOT says that their studies showed no action was warranted, Hennings said.

Hennings said the school asked ADOT for a traffic light first. When the school was turned down, it asked for a flashing light warning people about the school entrance. Then the school asked to reduce the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph. Finally, the school requested permission to put up a precautionary sign that says “school entrance.”

“We were turned down numerous times,” Hennings said.

The school is unable to alter the highway because ADOT would consider it a traffic impediment, since ADOT’s studies showed the intersection did not warrant action, Hennings said.

“ADOT is claiming that they trump everybody,” Devere said. “The city has no say, the county has no say and the state has no say.

“It doesn’t fit ADOT’s standards unless there is a fatality,” he continued.

If the studies show no action is warranted, there is nothing the school district can do, said Teresa Welborn, ADOT deputy public involvement director.

“ADOT and the jurisdiction would split the cost of the changes” if action is warranted in the future, Welborn said.

When asked if a fatality would make changes warranted, Welborn said, “I could not comment on that.”

Some high school students said the school needs a light.

“We do need one, if we don’t want people dying,” said Brittany Smith, a high school junior who drives to school. “The idea is good, but we will probably graduate by the time we get one.”
Erick Windom, another junior who drives to school, agreed with Smith.

“You have tourists and you have students—people who drive slow and people who drive fast,” Windom said. “It’s dangerous.”

Devere explained that since there is no right turn lane, people slow down to turn. Drivers behind them use the center turn lane as a passing lane, which puts passing cars right into the path of those turning left into the school.

“There is no escape route,” Devere said. “We have a head-on collision coming.”

Hennings and Devere are not optimistic about their prospects with ADOT, despite their beliefs that students are in danger.

“It’s hard to negotiate with ADOT,” Hennings said. “They have their own rules and regulations that they have to follow.”

For the time being, Devere is working on finding out if it is legal for buses to use their flashing lights while turning into the school. School buses normally use the flashing lights at regular stops to pick up and drop off students.

Since Hennings doesn’t foresee any help either, the district is looking into building a right turn lane. Hennings said the school has verbal approval from ADOT, but the district doesn’t have the money right now.

The district spent $250,000 on the road to the high school. A turn lane would cost close to $350,000.

Hennings said the school installed good lighting along the road to help with nighttime visibility, but that is all they can do for now.

“I am just worried about my kids’ safety,” Devere said. “I don’t want one of my kids hurt. As adults, we have to protect our kids.”