Pulaski County has ‘typical’ first day of school

By SUSAN WHEELDON CJ Staff Writer

August 03, 2007 09:16 am

— “It was a typical first day.”
That is how Pulaski County Schools Superintendent Tim Eaton described the first day of school yesterday.
Eaton said he was told by several principals he spoke with throughout the day that everything flowed so smoothly, it was as if there wasn’t even a break.
However, he noted that ultimately with the first day of school there are always some parking and traffic issues at the schools, especially elementary schools, as more parents bring their children in to school on the first day.
The biggest change for the first day of school was the drop off and pick up flow of traffic at several schools including Nancy Elementary, Pulaski County High School, and Northern Middle School.
At Nancy Elementary, because of construction, parents will be dropping students off near the gymnasium instead of in front of the entrance for a period of time this year.
Because of this change and the construction at the school, there was some confusion with the drop-off of students yesterday morning.
“It was never intended for anyone to park across the road and walk over to the school,” said Eaton.
Eaton explained that some parents parked across the street at White Oak Church and were walking their students across to the school.
Due to limited bus and vehicle parking, there was some overflow traffic that had to use the White Oak Church parking lot.
Eaton said he believes by synchronizing some time issues at the school, the flow of traffic should work better in the coming days.
As for Pulaski County High School, the drop-off entrance and parent pick-up procedures have been changed.
In the mornings, parents will enter the campus using the University Drive entrance nearest the high school and follow the lanes to exit onto University Drive. To help traffic flow, drivers should turn right as they exit.
Pulaski County High School principal Rob Bowers said they changed the morning drop-off direction to increase safety of the students.
As for afternoon pickup, parents will enter the lower parking lot from Ky. 39 at the foot of the hill and proceed to the student lot moving into the left lane when they get to the main student lot, so that the school buses will have free access to their lane.
There will be three exits:
• Those traveling northbound and onto East Somerset Church Road will circle the student lot and exit where they entered onto Ky. 39 at the foot of the hill.
• Those traveling south and Ky. 80 traffic will exit the student lot on the east side next to the ROTC building, making a right turn only.
• Those traveling westbound and onto University Drive will exit the student lot up the hill by the football field house and tennis courts toward University Drive and turn right onto University Drive.
“We hope the new procedure will relieve some of the delay in picking up students that has been experienced in the past,” said Bowers.
Meanwhile, Northern Middle School principal Angela Murphy said they changed procedures to help ensure safety as well.
Each family with children will be issued a mirror tag with their child’s name written on the tag to identify who they are to pick up. Then as parents pull through the parent pick up line, school staff will radio inside for the student to be dismissed.
Students will only be allowed to get in a vehicle if their name appears on the mirror tag, however, if a student is going to be on parent pick up with a friend or other family member, who does not have a tag, the parent must send a note to school with a phone number listed for the school to verify that it is approved.
Parents dropping off students will do so in the side parking lot, using the Ky. 39 entrance.
Also, the first day of school meant the first day for three new School Resource Officers in Pulaski County schools, as well as a return officer.
Eaton said that transition was smooth, and the officers were an incredible help in assisting with traffic and handing out flyers at the middle schools and high schools.
Eaton said from preliminary reports, overall attendance appears to be up slightly district wide.

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