A question I have; is there any way to drop a child off a block or so away, so he can walk onto the school property, thus avoiding the bottleneck of traffic and the time constraint? When my kids were school age, our school district (different state) did not have transportation provided, so it was every child for himself and we had to take them to school. Or they could catch the city bus (our expense), which would never keep the schedule they were supposed to and therefore not a dependable means of transportation. I used to drop them off a block away, and they would walk to the school. Just wondering, not trying to open any cans of worms...:?:
Why not?? By not suppling bus transportation the district is saying that these kids are "walkers". The district has stated that they can walk to school from your house .. so what is wrong with them walking from out side the school grounds into the school??? Go for it but you will get some zealot telling you it is wrong.
Seems to me that the first issue is child safety, although I don't recall that being an issue when I walked to school, as most of us did. The rest rode a bus, driven by high school students. No one dropped off a kid in carpool. And, given the volume of traffic, I can readily understand the safety issue. Westview doesn't seem to have the issues that older schools have, as their design promotes a better traffic flow. With just one entry/exit for carpool just as Polenta has, it causes quite a backup onto the highways adjacent to the schools; Cornwallis for CMS, Josephine almost backing up to 1010 for Polenta.
Schools usually have some idiotic rules. This year, parents can't pick up their kids after 2:30 (at our elementary school) unless you have a doctor's note. So if I need my daughter home before 4:30 for any reason other than doctor's appointment, I have to be there at her school to pick her up before 2:30. It kind of says they are more concerned about the "traffic" in the office than the kid missing an hour or more of school for no reason!
My kids middle school has a no "sign-out" policy of picking up students after 2:45. It disrupts the bus line-ups, carpool line lineups and so forth....it's just common courtesy to not disturb that. It goes without saying if it's an emergency, then you can get your kid. And as far as carpool lines go, here's a tip to keep the line moving and lower the risk of being tardy at dropoff....how about have your kid ready to get out, bookbag and/or lunch box in hand ready to hop out? not in the trunk, not in the back seat.....that slows down progress more than anything. :banghead:
Then you have the one who have to be "first". DS had a field trip today, so he had to be at school by 8:15. I got there at 7:55. There were ALREADY people lined up to drop their kids off for regular school, not the field trip. The doors don't even open til 8:25. You are going to sit in your car for more than thirty minutes????? Same thing in the afternoon, but they start lining up a full hour before school lets out. I figured out early on, that if you just wait and go when when most of the kids have been picked up, you don't waste nearly as much time. Holy crap I wish I had that much free time to sit in my car for nothing. :lol:
I do believe you have missed the hole point of this thread..This isn't about fault. Just as I stated earlier, as soon as I walked into the office the defensive behavior begin. I want to help & I'm sure many other parents do as well. But I refuse to make this entirely My problem. Not when it is our school's responsablitiy to manage their own issues!
and that's just it, its that school. I dont have that problem at all at the middle school my kids go to, and I didnt have it at the elementary schools they went to. It's just mis managed at your kids school, unfortunately. and KDC....I know right? on the sitting in carpool and being the first one. I went to pick up my two Tuesday for an orthodontist appt. Got to the middle school at 2:30, there was ALREADY 4 CARS across the street at the elementary school, in line, at 2:30 for a 3:30 release.....are you kidding me?
Just my experience with CMS and carpool.... I've had to take my DS maybe 5-6 times now and we leave house at 7:40 and it only takes 2-3 minutes to get there. The line has always been moving and kids being dropped off by the time I get there. I'm in and out and back home no later than 7:55......
To each their own, but I can think of a whole buncha other things I'd rather do than sit in my car for more than 2 hours a day. Hated it when DS wasn't riding the bus, tried to minimize as much as possible. :mrgreen:
I think we can all agree that every school can improve in some way (some more than others) - including the reception that your questions and concerns are greeted with. The first thing you should have heard after you voiced your concern: "I'm sorry." (or some kind of similar empathetic response). You're not asking too much for a carpool to be managed effectively and for a little leeway given to children who are stuck in their car, on-property, on-time. Granted, there may be core educational issues that are taking priority, but that doesn't mean your carpool concern doesn't have merit and it should be responded to with humility and concern. Just my opinion, of course.