Student Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures
I have been aware since my arrival as superintendent that our drop off and pick up procedures between the school buildings is less than ideal. While inconvenience is something that we just have to live with sometimes, when the safety of our kids is in question, we have a responsibility to try and find a better solution. There obviously isn't an easy one or we'd have made a change a long time ago. Any change will take the cooperation of all of you and the patience and commitment to doing something different that we believe can work and improve the situation.
You will find in this newsletter a google map of our school campus. I need you to look at it carefully and I will try to explain what we want to try starting on Tuesday, April 3rd. While the drop off procedures in the morning aren't changing, I do need to stress that if you drop your elementary kids off on the East or the West end, please drop them off on the elementary sidewalk and not in the middle of the street. DO NOT ever back up in the street. If coming in from the East, drop your child on the sidewalk and then do your u-turn. If coming from the west, do your u-turn and then drop your child on the sidewalk.
At dismissal time, ONLY PRESCHOOL children should be picked up on the east end of the building. Dismissal time for PK being picked up will be 3:30. Preschool kids riding the bus or being picked up by older siblings will remain after 3:30. Buses will still run at the same time and ALL students (PK-12) riding the bus will be dismissed at 3:40 and buses will roll out at 3:45 sharp. At that time, cars will be allowed to enter the street in front of the elementary from the East end. Elementary "town kids" will be dismissed at 3:45 to walk home or be picked up by you. PK-3rd will be picked up in front of the school and 4th-6th we ask that you pick up on the West end, coming in from Maple street. Once you pick up your child, you will continue West on Woodland. If you are picking up multiple children, just communicate with them where you expect them to be, in front of the building or on the West end.
We will have multiple adults out to help guide traffic if necessary and I do expect there to be some "growing pains" with this but I am confident that this can work and be a safer procedure. We will need you to be extra vigilant and proceed very slowly, especially after you get your child and pull out into the street and proceed past cars still parked waiting to get their child.
We will start this pick-up procedure on Tuesday, April 3rd. If you have any questions, please contact me. Thanks for supporting a new idea that we hope makes it more convenient for you and more safe for all of our children.