How would you handle this? Private school in the neighborhood

[mom2grace]

We live right across the street from a private school. The building used to be a public school that all of the children who attended it walked to and from.

Now, because of the nature of the school, all children are brought in private cars by their parents. This is in a residential neighborhood.

They have this pickup ritual that results in blocked driveways (illegal where we live), blocked streets (illegal where we live), people parking illegally, etc. The parents sometimes call the cops on us because we are mad we can't get into our driveways!!

School has been in session 3 weeks tomorrow. This has been going on for 7 years, I just moved here this summer.

So....the neighbors finally organized themselves before school started and met with the principal, local police, local fire, and the entity that owns the building and the land.

The principal sent letters to the parents (that they didn't read) asking them to obey traffic rules, be courteous, etc.

Nothing has changed. The principal is hoping this will go away. Well, I MOVED INTO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD and I'M NOT LEAVING!

With the blessing of the neighborhood organizers, I took video last Friday of the street and the cars. Of course, the parents were irate (I was sitting in my car, not being super obvious).

The chief of police spoke poorly of the principal (told me that last year they were not on speaking terms, I can't believe he told me that!) and said they would do what they could.

Because things got so heated last week, today, thankfully the police were there to ticket and reprimand the parents. A woman was blocking my driveway, I was standing on the sidewallk (I didn't say anything), the cop was facing her in the street. He made eye contact and gestured for her to move and she didn't. He had to tell her to move and she still didn't want to!!! They ticketed a car that was parked illegally.

Well, the principal is pissed at me (and many of the neighbors).

AND I FEEL LIKE I DID SOMETHING WRONG!!!!!


What would you do?? We meet again in a few weeks.

Many of you had great ideas for the milk thief, HELP MY NEIGHBORS!!

P.S. It's not a "money" issue, we all send our kids to private schools, we live in a major city. Of course, we think they think they are better than us, they just don't understand!!

 

[CajunDixie]

Maybe you need to ask the principal how he/she would feel if one of the children or staff at the school was critically ill or injured and the EMS couldn't get to the school because the driveways were blocked by inconsiderate people. Or if the school was on fire......

Maybe you (all the neighbors) need to help them come up with a workable solution. Last week in a meeting where there was a heated discussion and one guy stood up and quoted something he read on the internet.....If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. There must be some sort of parking lot.....where do teachers park? Where do parents park if there is a school event or during conferences? Maybe they need to wind the cars through the parking lot and have the kids come out at specific spots to be picked up. Or maybe there is an alley or two that could be used.

Good Luck!

 

[Beth76]

I don't really have any advice for you. Just wanted to let you know that I'm on your side. I drove by my elementary school (in the middle of the neighborhood) the other day and cars were lining both sides of ALL the streets adjacent to the school. It was *very* difficult to drive through there. I'm pretty sure it was an open house or something, because I've never seen this before. I'm sure it would be the same if this was a private school and there was no bus transportation. I couldn't imagine living on one of those streets and dealing with it everyday.

At least the police know that the parents are in the wrong. Hopefully they can work something out.

 

[mom2grace]

Thanks CajunDixie!

That's just it, there is a huge parking lot that they are supposed to use! It has more than enough spaces. They have to cross one not busy street and there is a huge crosswalk at the intersection (it's a 4-way stop)

LOL about the solution/problem......the principal sees the neighbors as the problem!!!

The neighbors want all of the parents to park in the parking lot and walk in to get their children as they have been asked to do.

We have managed to get most of the staff to park in the parking lot as well reported them repeatedly to the principal.

The school's position about safety is that one of their children may be hurt because they have to cross a street, that is at a 4 way stop with a huge crosswalk!!

 

[phillybeth]

Originally posted by mom2grace
The school's position about safety is that one of their children may be hurt because they have to cross a street, that is at a 4 way stop with a huge crosswalk!!

Can you and some of your neighbors volunteer as crossing guards at that intersection? That would help everybody. Reduced traffic for you, and safe kids for the school and parents.

 

[Deb & Bill]

My son is in his 7th year at his private school. In the first few years, the car pool situation was a mess. The same principal was there for many years. When we got a new principal a few year back, he changed the flow of the car pool line - literally reversed it to make it fit better in the neighborhood. Now, we have a third principal who has worked to make it even better for the neighbors.

Is this a one of a kind school or is there a board or something that you (a neighborhood representative group) could go to discuss the problem. Offer them some suggestions on how it could be improved. When they reversed our line, I swear I could hear all the "It's never going to work, we been doing it that way forever". But it was very successful.

 

[mom2grace]

Originally posted by phillybeth
Can you and some of your neighbors volunteer as crossing guards at that intersection? That would help everybody. Reduced traffic for you, and safe kids for the school and parents.

The police are talking about having the school hire off-duty police. If the school would really do that, I see it as a win/win.

Most of the residents who are home during these times are elderly. This is part of the reason that the ability of fire/rescue & ambulance service to access the street is an issue.

 

[Beth76]

Originally posted by mom2grace
Thanks CajunDixie!
The neighbors want all of the parents to park in the parking lot and walk in to get their children as they have been asked to do.

Wait a minute...there's a PARKING LOT and they're not using it?

What if you and all of your neighbors call the principal. And keep calling. Have like 5 people call each day. Then another 5 call the next day and so on. Would that be considered harrassment? If it's different people calling. Maybe if you can irritate him enough, then he will do something. What if you started towing people? I'm just randomly throwing thoughts out now. Oh, what if everyone who is home at the time park their cars on the streets so that the parents can't park. I'm not saying to do this everyday, but maybe a few times will make the parents think. Again...just random thoughts.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Given it is a private school AND that the neighborhood has tried to work with it I don't think you are wrong.

If the cross walk is dangerous then the school should pay to have a crossing guard of some sort handle the foot traffic at the beginning and end of school. I'm sure they could work it out with the town...after all public schools do this successfully.

Aside from that I would persist in complaining to the town until the problem has been resolved by liberally ticketing the parents. Or you could sue the principal by using one of the Judge shows (Judge Judy, The People's Court, Texas Justice, Judge Joe Brown). Pick the one farthest from your home town so you get a free trip out of it.

 

[Beth76]

Originally posted by Deb & Bill
When we got a new principal a few year back, he changed the flow of the car pool line - literally reversed it to make it fit better in the neighborhood.

"South to drop off. North to pick up." LOL!!!!!!!Do you all remember this line from Mr. Mom when he gets chastised for "doing it wrong" when he's dropping of the kid at school. All the mom's keep yelling at him. Ha! Maybe you need to figure out what the Jack Butler method is. I hope I'm not the only one who gets this joke.

 

[Planogirl]

I agree that since there is a parking lot that is usable, there is no excuse for this traffic mess. We have a different situation at our PUBLIC middle school. We have to line up in a narrow throughway since there is no parking area available and many cars are stretched down the street. Luckily, the homes here have alleys and rear parking and we're not blocking any driveways. In our case, this is a result of poor planning by the school district IMO.

Good luck working things out.

 

[CajunDixie]

The school's position about safety is that one of their children may be hurt because they have to cross a street, that is at a 4 way stop with a huge crosswalk!!

When our elementary was located on a state highway/main street the township paid a crossing guard to stop traffic for 1 hour in the mornings and 1 hour in the afternoons. With this being a private school they have several options. They could ask for PTO volunteers, use a teacher that has the last hour free, or have a custodian assigned to be the crossing guard. At our high school a custodian stops traffic so the buses can all leave on time so as to go to the middle school to pick up more students.

 

[jan/cape]

If the police are willing to be consistent in writing the tickets the parent will become angry. If they get enough tickets (hopefully) they will learn that they "really" can't park there.

This could become a business oppritunity ( I can't spell this for the life of me tonight) for you $5.00 in the morning, $5.00 in the afternoon. $10.00 per day, $50.00 per week, $200.00 per month, $2,000.00 per school year. Imagine lettin 2 cars park in your driveway.
You'll be off to disney before you know it ;-)

 

[phillybeth]

Originally posted by mom2grace
The police are talking about having the school hire off-duty police. If the school would really do that, I see it as a win/win.

Most of the residents who are home during these times are elderly. This is part of the reason that the ability of fire/rescue & ambulance service to access the street is an issue.

I'd still bring it up at the next meeting. Some folks might want to get involved but don't know how. My two favorite crossing guards as a kid were semi-retired folk who liked helping out, liked being around kids. And if it is a free solution for the school, then it's win/win!

I would think that fire/rescue access would be an issue no matter who lived on the street- and for the school too!

 

[poohandwendy]

I would gather up all of the lawn chairs, saw horses and orange cones you can find and block the areas they are illegally using for parking spaces. Have a bunch of residents man the chairs...And make large signs that state, "Please keep the safety of the residents of this community a priority by obeying parking laws. Thank you for your cooperation"

Make it IMPOSSIBLE for them to use any space but the lot they are supposed to use. It may take weeks but it will eventually be effective. Seems to me that the only thing they will pay attention to is a physical barrier.

If that doesn't work, find out where the prinicipal lives and park in front of his driveway until he is inconvenienced enough to make some changes.

Also, you never mentioned this, but are there visible "NO PARKING, violators will be towed at their own expense" signs? If not, you need to press for them. If there are some, sounds like you need more.

 

[mom2alix]

Originally posted by mom2grace

Well, the principal is pissed at me (and many of the neighbors).

AND I FEEL LIKE I DID SOMETHING WRONG!!!!!

Originally posted by mom2grace


......the principal sees the neighbors as the problem!!!

You aren't doing anything wrong. Imagine expecting that people actually follow trafffic laws. The horror!

The principal sounds like a real piece of work. Keep up what you're doing. Eventually the parents will get the hint that they are not above the law and the tickets should encourage them to park, get out of their cars, and get their own children. The city probably won't mind continuing the tickets as most minicipalities can use extra sources of income these days.

We have a public magnet school across the street that requires the parents to provide transportation. It definitely increases traffic, but the principal here is great and really works with the parents to make sure that safety rules are followed. The safety patrol on our crosswalks is actually students (5th graders) who consider it a real treat to be cross guards.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

That would upset me too. Here the private schools have staggered drop off and pick up times. For example third graders would start at 8:30 leave 2:30, 4th graders 8:45 leave 2:45, etc. Althought the overall dropoff/pickup time where these cars are in your neighborhood is greatly increased it significantly decreases the amount of cars at one time.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Since the help you're getting from the school and police appears to be inconsistent, may I suggest another avenue...Get a few of you together and go to the next city counsel meeting. Take with you, a copy of all the calls the police have made to the school in regards to the parking problems. Once they become aware of the problem they can offer their input. Good luck!

TC

 

[Cindy B]

Well you could always do it Philly style..

They put out lawn chairs (you know the white plastic ones) in front of parking spaces in thier homes/driveways (if they have them)


And in some places, if you moved the chair.. you got in a fight!


(Not that I am advocating fighting in any sense!)

 

[tkd lisa]

You are not wrong. Have you thought about calling the local news stations? There is an acceptable, law abiding method to retrieve these children. Having crossing guards at that intersection is completely do-able. The school should require the parents to follow the law, and provide the safety requirements (crossing guards). If the school won't, the police should be used to enforce the law. After all, that's why we have police, isn't it?

Most private schools do have some sort of parent teacher/student organization. I suggest you ask to be put on the next agenda and lay out the concerns of the neighborhood. Don't stop your other efforts, just do it as well so that each parent has the opportunity to directly hear why the neighborhood has an issue with the situation. I'm sure that many of the parents don't know why there's a concern. If the principal really did send home the notice about parking appropriately, I doubt he explained why it's an issue. I understand that the children's safety (crossing the road) is a concern, but the neighbor's safety (access for emergency vehicles) is also a valid concern.