September 10, 2008

Dear Parents,

As many have come to realize, the dismissal of students from Claypit Hill and Happy Hollow each afternoon is not working as planned, and this, unfortunately, is creating numerous problems within individual families and throughout the community. Without acknowledging each particular problem – suffice it to say that there are many and they are significant – I have decided to change the opening and closing time of the three elementary schools in an attempt to correct most of these problems and address safety concerns.

Please know that questions about specific bus stops or individual bus routes will be addressed separately, and all who have written to Joy Buhler, the district’s Business Administrator, or me will receive a specific answer to their questions via a personal letter or email.

The purpose of this letter is to announce that as of Monday, September 15th, the following times will be used for the opening and closing times at each school.

Wednesday Dismissal
Claypit and Happy Hollow: 8:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.                            8:45 a.m. – 1:50 p.m.
Loker: 9:00 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.                                                         9:00 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.
Middle School: 7:45 a.m. – 2:20 p.m.                                              7:45 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
High School: 7:30 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.                                                  7:30 a.m. – 1:05 p.m.

There will be no changes in the starting or ending times of the middle or high schools; thus, families with children in these two schools should expect buses and schedules to remain as they have been since school opened on September 2nd. Again, either Joy Buhler or I will address individual questions about specific stops or routes shortly.

At the elementary level, however, it is clearly apparent that the current schedule is not working, and I believe that returning to last year's opening and closing time at Claypit and Happy Hollow will do much to correct the problems that are evident at both these schools, especially at dismissal time. I have asked the two principals, Ms. Bearse and Mr. Lee to continue to make adjustments to their buildings’ drop-off and pick-up procedures as they see fit, including the dismissal of walkers and children picked up at the school by their parents/guardians.

Please know that student safety is always foremost in our planning. Parents and others are expected to cooperate, as we will undoubtedly continue to make additional adjustments to the manner in which schools are opened and closed each day.

I acknowledge that this has been a very frustrating two weeks for some families, and, had these problems been foreseen, we obviously would not have implemented the procedures and bus routes as earlier announced. I accept full responsibility for any inconveniences that have occurred over the past two weeks and believe that the new times will alleviate many of the existing problems.

With few exceptions, the bus routes themselves will remain as scheduled. However, all pick-up and drop-off times for children riding individual buses should now be adjusted by 15 minutes. Therefore, if your child was picked up at 7:45 a.m., he/she should expect the same bus and driver to pick him/her up 15 minutes later at 8:00. Or, if a child was dropped off at an afternoon bus stop at 3:15, he or she will now be dropped off at 3:30. As the bus routes become better established and the students and drivers more familiar with daily routines, I expect that individual routes will need less time to be completed. The Business Administrator will communicate any changes to transportation arrangements for kindergartners directly to the parents.

As I stated earlier, parents who previously contacted either Joy Buhler or me with specific questions or concerns about the length of a bus ride or the placement of a particular bus stop will receive a personal letter or email with an answer to these question(s).

I want to again thank everyone for their patience during this rough start to the school year. Clearly, it was not intended. Overall, I am pleased to report that what is going on inside our schools has been as expected. That is, we have started the academic year well and most children and their teachers seem to be settling into the daily routines of their classes. There is a healthy air of excitement throughout the buildings, and many parents have, in fact, reported that their children have gotten off to a good start.

In summary, the starting and ending times at the three elementary schools are being changed by 15 minutes. I believe these changes will do much to correct the dismissal problems that are obvious at both Claypit Hill and Happy Hollow. Therefore, please plan accordingly. Should you have questions please do not hesitate to call or write to either your child's building principal or me. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Gary A. Burton
Superintendent of Schools