Help--another school situation--need to write letter!!

[ckmommy]

I got a letter from the school that DD7 and DS5 have been/will be going to next week. My DD will be in 2nd grade (and has been going to this school since K) and DS will be starting K. Anyhow, the note said that the school is no longer having crossing guards. They actually never have had crossing guards--but staff watching the kids cross the street. The letter said that using staff as crossing guards did not meet state crosswalk requirments (growing up, I was a crossing guard in 5th grade , I guess safety patrol is no longer). Due to there being no crossing guards, hiker/bikers will not be dismissed until all the buses have left the school property(they used to be dismissed first). The district has busing in place for all students--they really want all students to use the buses. Here is my beef:

--we live two blocks away from school, I have been always walked the kids to and from school. Why wouldn't they walk to school??

--the school ends at 3:45. The buses are not all loaded and off school property until between 4:15-4:30. Meaning that my walking kids would not get home until 4:30-4:45.

--I am always at the door to pick up my kids. They do not have to cross the street on their own.


--is it legal to keep students at school (who are not being punished) for almost an hour after the school day ends?? I feel they would be in jail--to a point!

--I know this is nothing I can do anything about, but why is there district transportation to houses 2 blocks from school. There is a huge probelm with childhood obesity--why discourage walking to those that live VERY close to school.

So, now I need to write a letter the the principal. Anyone want to help??

 

[poptoone]

You need to be direct and to the point and emphasize the facts. Keep the emotions out of the letter! Good luck!

 

[ZuZugal]

Wow...that's a tough one. I'd imagine you are not the only person who will have a big problem with this issue.

First off, the school is doing the right thing by considering safety their #1 priority. Before writing your letter, make a list of the points you would like to make. If you make it more of a "how can I help" letter other than a "complaint" letter that will really make a difference as well.

If you are able, maybe you (along with other volunteers) could give your time to be the crossing guard. If you get enough others who can help you might only have to do it once a week.

 

[Wishing on a star]

This sounds like a legal or insurance liability issue. Basicly, I do not see how holding these kids hostage until the busses have run would remove any liablilty from the school!

First: I am sure that the school is serious about this policy. The memo has gone out. Realize that it will not change immediately.

Second: To solve the immediate problem, I would get in my car and go thru parent-pick-up to get my children. A bit of a hassle, I know, but personally, would NOT allow my son to be held hostage for that length of time every day. (I am in the same situation in the mornings... I have to drive my son and drop him off every day, because the busses run so darned early, and then the kids are held hostage for up to 45 minutes before they are released to go to class every morning. )

Since DS goes to a county school located on a major county road, they do not even allow children to walk home. They must all ride the bus or be picked up by parents or guardian.

Third: If a real (trained and licensed) crossing guard is what is necessary by law. Go and advocate to have one placed at your school. I would go to the authorities (The city or county law enforcement agency) and ask them what the laws really are. Even ask for them to get these laws in writing. Then ask them if they could not provide a crossing guard.

Become an advocate.

It sounds like this could be an insurance policy liability issue.
It sounds like the school board has decided that they are not willing to pay for the required crossing guard services, and they are not able to bear the liability that comes with having staff or parents as crossing guards.

Become an advocate: Go to the Principal and ask them to stay on the police or sherriffs back. Contact every school board member. I would suggest a letter in writing, requesting that they do whatever is necessary to provide crossing guard services at the schools. Tell them that this is an expense that they cannot afford NOT to pay.

 

[MorganLeFey]

My school district provides bussing for every single child in the district. elementary school children get door-to-door service, older kids may be dropped off at the nearest intersection. our district has no sidewalks and no crossing guards. elementary school kids don't walk to school, older kids are allowed to walk with their parents' permission.

mine are in high school now, but when they were in elementary school...

we live 1/4 mile from the school. but because of the door-to-door drop off, it took almost 1/2 hour for the kids to get home.

that's why a lot of parents chose to pick their kids up at dismissal. any parent who chose to do that had to go inside the shcool building and sign a form at the attendance desk that he/she was picking up his.her child.

if you're walking back and forth with your kids anyhow, I see no reason why you can't sign them out at dismissal time. the rule is to protect children who are walking home unescorted, but if you are walking with them, there's no point to the rule.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

This is a matter of safety. In fact I cannot believe that your school was dismissing the walkers out first before the buses.

Your school is following protocol most schools have in place now.

 

[Beth76]

You're going to pick them up right? I don't see how they can not dismiss them to you--even if you're walking. They really have no idea if you walked or drove. But I agree with you, it seems silly not to let the walkers go first if the buses don't even leave for 30 minutes. It seems that all walkers would be safely at home by then.

 

[California Girl]

when our school changed policies like with things like this, you know what we did? we had our kids follow the school's policy.

jail, hostages, holy cow. let's overreact a bit, and do it in front of the kids so that they realize if they don't like rules or policies, fight em.

become an advocate for what...school walkers. malcontents.

do you guys always look for fights?

 

[sacall]

We live two blocks from school. They let the kids out all at the same time, busses and walkers. I don't understand how it takes so long to load your buses. Our school ends at 3:41 and by 3:50 there is not a soul there! They line the kids up before the bell rings to load the buses. However, we only have 4 buses, so maybe you have more. Who is going to be watching the walkers till 4:30 pm? Where are the walkers going to be? In their classroom or in the halls waiting to leave?

I would simply ask at the office if your kids can be released to you when the bell rings. Or if you have to, drive and pick them up.

Stacy

 

[ckmommy]

when our school changed policies like with things like this, you know what we did? we had our kids follow the school's policy.

jail, hostages, holy cow. let's overreact a bit, and do it in front of the kids so that they realize if they don't like rules or policies, fight em.

become an advocate for what...school walkers. malcontents.

do you guys always look for fights?

Are you Kidding me!!!!!! Looking for a fight?? You are the one tring to stir it up!!!!!!!!! Your school policy did not let your kids walk home from school?? Well, I AM the parent and YES, I believe I have a right to choose how my kids get to and from school. I do NOT feel that the school has the authority to hold my kids agaisnt MY will because they are walkers!!!!! If you want to let your kids ride a bus, great!! I do not want my kids riding a bus for 2 blocks when we are all perfectly capable of walking home on sidewalks in the subdivision that we live in!! No, I do not feel that I am overreacting--if this is how you feel, then so be it!! Go ahead and call me names.

 

[ckmommy]

We live two blocks from school. They let the kids out all at the same time, busses and walkers. I don't understand how it takes so long to load your buses. Our school ends at 3:41 and by 3:50 there is not a soul there! They line the kids up before the bell rings to load the buses. However, we only have 4 buses, so maybe you have more. Who is going to be watching the walkers till 4:30 pm? Where are the walkers going to be? In their classroom or in the halls waiting to leave?

I would simply ask at the office if your kids can be released to you when the bell rings. Or if you have to, drive and pick them up.

Stacy

We have 4 or 5 sets of 5 buses (1100 kids at this school). So, that is the reason delay, and in turn my compaint for holding the kids until the last bus is off the property.

I do not know what they are planning to do with the walkers until they are dismissed--I assume keeping them in the classroom withth teacher (won't that make them happy).

 

[California Girl]

Are you Kidding me!!!!!! Looking for a fight?? You are the one tring to stir it up!!!!!!!!! Your school policy did not let your kids walk home from school?? Well, I AM the parent and YES, I believe I have a right to choose how my kids get to and from school. I do NOT feel that the school has the authority to hold my kids agaisnt MY will because they are walkers!!!!! If you want to let your kids ride a bus, great!! I do not want my kids riding a bus for 2 blocks when we are all perfectly capable of walking home on sidewalks in the subdivision that we live in!! No, I do not feel that I am overreacting--if this is how you feel, then so be it!! Go ahead and call me names.

Actually the school has the authority to do whatever it wants. It is a legal entity, it collects taxes and makes laws. Sometimes you have to deal with it. I could care less what kind of a fuss you make. I am just amused at how quickly schools become kidnappers (referring to the hostage comments) and inmates (referring to the jail comment). Write letters to the school. Write letters to the newspapers. Get the newcrews out with their TV cameras. Homeschool. I could care. My point was and still is, sometimes things are inconvenient. Most people just deal with it. You posted here and I give another perspective. Are your kids going to be in danger because of this policy? No. You are going to be inconvenienced. That's your only gripe.

 

[goofy!]

We have the same situation. I can see the school from our back yard.

We are in a quiet, residential neighborhood. The school sits next to our recreation area (pool and tennis courts) which are on the corner of two landscaped, 4 lane streets. The streets are not busy since it is residential - but are the "showplace" streets of the development.

However, there is a state law that says that elementary children cannot cross a 4 lane street and bussing must be provided. So my kid, even though we can see the school, has a bus. But he does not use it. He rides his bike.

Here is how our community got around the limitations. First of all, we have a very committed parent base. Almost too committed. Many stay-at-home parents (both moms and dads) that volunteer for just about anything.

The PTA formed a committee - a crossing guard committee. They worked with the local sheriff to find out which corners needed to be staffed and then got volunteers to do it. The PTA, out of its fundraising purchased the bibs and the hand held stop signs. The sheriff provides the training.

Then the parent group worked with the town council to have one of the new cross walk signs put on the one stoplight. It counts down the seconds that the kids have left to cross the street, so makes it easier for them to know if it is safe to cross.

The parents, the school and the town worked together to make things safe for the kids to walk or bike to school. Of course, this is in Boulder, CO - where people are almost fanatic about health and fitness, so the thought of having your kid ride a bus to school for a couple of blocks was abhorrent to most of the residents. The culture of fitness (we have many world class athletes living in the neighborhood because they train in Boulder), made the committee's job much easier. It might be a bit more difficult in a place that wasn't so anal about fitness.

But I agree with the above poster. Get involved and be proactive. It worked for our community and now our kids can walk to school with trained crossing guards and the school doesn't have to have it come out of their budget and the liability issues were also covered.

Since this is probably a budgetary/liability/legal/safety issue, I don't think you will have an easy time changing the policy with just a letter. Urge the school to find some solutions.

 

[MorganLeFey]

Are you Kidding me!!!!!! Looking for a fight?? You are the one tring to stir it up!!!!!!!!! Your school policy did not let your kids walk home from school?? Well, I AM the parent and YES, I believe I have a right to choose how my kids get to and from school. I do NOT feel that the school has the authority to hold my kids agaisnt MY will because they are walkers!!!!! If you want to let your kids ride a bus, great!! I do not want my kids riding a bus for 2 blocks when we are all perfectly capable of walking home on sidewalks in the subdivision that we live in!! No, I do not feel that I am overreacting--if this is how you feel, then so be it!! Go ahead and call me names.

ckmommy,

you weren't looking for a fight before, but now you're falling into an argument.

have you read the suggestions everyone else maide?

as a general rule, the school sets policy as to the length of the school day and when students will be dismissed. but I have never heard of a school that will not release a student to his/her parent's custody. unless you've got something really weird going on, all you have to do is walk into the school and sign a form taking custody of your children. no big deal, no long letter to the principal, no "they're keeping my child in jail" sob story.

 

[JVL1018]

I'd be annoyed..since you'll be home for them anyway, can you just go and pick them up, if necessary "sign" them out.
No way would I be happy with my kids getting out of school so much later.


I agree with you, it's more than inconvenient, it's unfair-they get stuck in what is basically aftercare when they could be home.
Who is going to watch these kids? I'd be surprised if a teacher's union would back that-I can;t imagine a teacher wanting to work an extra hour every day to watch the kids for free..and if they're paying them extra, why can't they just pay a crossing guard. I bet it would be cheaper.

The town pays for and provides all crossing guards in my town, the school has nothing to do with it.


Like I said, I'd be up there signing them out every day. I think it's ridiculous.

 

[SpecialK]

Actually, I think it's a non-issue. You do have parental rights. Just let the principal know that you will meet your children at school at dismissal to walk them home and that you will assume responsibility for their safety. At this point, I don't think you need to do more than state your wishes.

 

[teacherforhi]

I think some people are blowing this way out of proportion.

All of our elementary schools dismiss bus riders before walkers and car riders. It's two bells. The first one is for bus riders. The second one is for everyone else.

I guess some of you would be in the vapors when you had to go through the procedure of giving your name to someone so it could be checked against a list before calling your child out as a car rider.

 

[mickeyfan2]

All of our elementary schools dismiss bus riders before walkers and car riders. It's two bells. The first one is for bus riders. The second one is for everyone else.

That is how it is here too. The bus kids leave and the buses pull out. Our little country school district has enough buses for all kids to leave at once, then the car riders leave. I don't think we have any walkers here. I guess I never considered kid's safety to be holding them hostage.

 

[azgal81]

45 minutes sounds a little long for them to wait for the kids to board the bus. Did it specifically say that was how long they would have to wait or are you just assuming?? I remember back when I was in school we had two bells as well but they were only ten minutes apart and yes the walkers did go last.

I don't think a letter will really help you.....if you are really concerned I would go to the school in person and talk to someone and explain your situation. I'm sure they will work with you.

 

[Jennasis]

What;s the problem? Go and walk to the school, sign your kids out at the end of the day and walk them home.

I assume you were planning to do that anyway, but were thinking that the school wouldn't let your kids leave with you until after the buses. I'm fairly certain they can't "legally" make you guys wait once the children are in your custody.

Please keep in mind...choose your battles wisely. Your kids are young and have a LONG time in that district ahead of them. The last thing you'll want is to become "THAT" parent to the principle...you know...a pain in the @$$. So decide just how badly you want to fight this and in the grand scheme of things, how important it really is.