In response to concerns last month over students speeding to and from school, the Old Rochester Regional School Committee approved on May 10 a new student parking permit application and agreement that makes students applying for a parking permit pledge to drive safely and cautions them that there will be consequences if they are reported to the school for unsafe driving.
The application/agreement makes students registering their vehicles to promise to obey traffic rules, lest their parking privileges be revoked.
Enforcement of the agreement focuses on the 30 minutes before and after school as students have been reportedly driving at excessive speeds to and from school.
The role of police will be to issue warnings to first-time offenders, and the school would be notified. A first-time offense merits a suspension of parking privileges for one day, a second offense for three days, a third for five days, and a subsequent violation of the agreement would result in permanent revocation.
The enforcement of the agreement is meant to be a “learning opportunity” for students as opposed to a severe punishment for poor choice making.
“It gives kids a chance to first understand that someone is watching,” said ORR School Committee Chairman Tina Rood. “They’re helping them learn by putting consequences on not being a responsible driver.”
High School Principal Michael Devoll said, “Any traffic citation reported will also result in suspension (of the parking permit).” Parents are also called to alert them.
In other matters, the committee approved four additional delayed start school days in order to accommodate the school’s need to perform a self-assessment as the school undergoes accreditation the next school year.
Devoll said he prefers the four two-hour delayed start school days as opposed to adding additional half days, mostly because students would benefit more from a delayed start over a half day because they are more alert at 9:30 than they are at 7:30, and also because a snow emergency two-hour delayed start schedule already exists, which would be followed.
Students who ride the bus would be picked up and brought to the school at the regular 7:30 start time and spend those two free hours studying, at the library, in the cafeteria, or using computers.
Devoll said adequate supervision for those students would be provided.
The four two-hour delayed start mornings are only temporary as the school undergoes accreditation next year, the committee pointed out.
The delayed start dates were identified as October 19, November 16, December 1, and January 11.
In other matters, the committee approved a number of changes to the student handbook, including a new dismissal policy that came about as a result of ongoing problems with the particular matter.
Students who drive themselves to school will no longer be dismissed if a parent simply calls to request it.
A note from the parent would be accepted for dismissal, but a telephone call would simply not do anymore. Devoll said on several occasions that calls came in for dismissals that were not really from parents, but from “friend A or friend B.”
In cases of extreme emergency, parents could call and the school would call the parent back on the phone numbers provided in the emergency contact form. If a parent cannot be reached again, the school would move down to the next emergency contact for verification.
The committee also approved a new contemporary a capella music course for the high school. Devoll said a number of students have expressed interest in the course and auditions would ensue.
Also, with the additions of camera in the school hallways and on the grounds, the handbook will now warn students that any footage recorded can be used against the students should any incidents be reported.
The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional School Committee is scheduled for June 14 at 6:30 pm in the ORR Junior High School media room.
Old Rochester Regional School Committee
By Jean Perry