Each fall, young children head off to school for the first time, leaving their parents to deal with the emotions of the momentous new chapter in their children’s lives.

Through the tears and anxious thoughts, though, those parents ultimately must trust that teachers, staff and district officials have their child’s best interest in mind, and will do whatever is necessary to keep students safe.

That concept is playing out in the Mars School District, where officials last week voiced their concern with a proposed access road. That road, extending from Brickyard Road and part of an overall project on Route 228, would come just 28 feet from the Primary Center, where the district’s youngest learners go each day.

During a meeting of the Mars School Board last week, board members and district officials voiced their objections to the road. They said they not only worried about the relative proximity to the school building, but that the road’s intended use would change in the future. Officials worried it could later be extended to Three Degree Road and used by motorists as a cut-through, increasing the traffic flow.

They also expressed concern over maintaining safe speeds, saying things like speed bumps, fencing and signage may not be permitted by Adams Township ordinances.

The matter is worth fighting for, officials said, because it involves the safety of students. We could not agree more.

PennDOT officials said they would continue communication not only with the school district, but with all landowners and businesses impacted by the project. We encourage all parties to continue working to find a solution for these concerns that suits the needs of those impacted and also allows the project to continue.

Undoubtedly, the project itself is much needed, and the next step in a series aimed at improving and expanding the Route 228 corridor. Not only will these projects make residents’ commutes easier and quicker, it will make the roads being traveled by school buses and the children on them safer.

We also encourage motorists who travel through the area during peak hours to be vigilant in following traffic patterns and obeying speed limits and restrictions in work zones. While it can be frustrating to sit in traffic in one of these areas, the road is being shared with vehicles getting children to and from their destinations, and their safety is paramount.

Situations such as those happening in Mars are not ideal for anyone involved, and it would be easy for the district and PennDOT to take a hard-line stance on their views on the matter.

However, we hope and believe all involved parties will rightly put the needs and safety of students at the forefront, and work together on a project that will benefit everyone.