Dear Mann Parents,                                     11-15-10

I wanted to give you some information about a change that will be taking place regarding the pick-up and drop-off of your children.

My main focus and concern when children are arriving and departing from school, is to make sure they are safe. We have an issue on Broadway Street that needs to be corrected in order for our students to have a safe avenue in which to walk, ride their bikes and cross the street.

This issue is cars who are going north bound on Broadway and making a “turning lane” so they can turn left into the parking lot. There have been fender benders, near misses with head on collisions, and people driving down the wrong side of the road to pass the cars in the center lane. The cars on Westview cannot exit if they would like to turn left because of the line of cars on Broadway. This then makes it congested when others are trying to exit Mann’s parking lot. My other concern is the children who are walking on the sidewalk while the cars are attempting to maneuver around one another. It is simply not a safe situation for adults or our children.

I have been talking with the Traffic Engineering department and School Police about this problem and I need your help in solving it. Beginning in the next week or two, the traffic engineering department will be putting up signs stating that left turns into our parking lot during pick-up and drop-off times will not be permitted. Lines will also be painted to remind everyone not to turn left into the parking lot. Once the lines are painted and the signs are up, you will no longer be allowed to turn left into the parking lot.

Parents will have two choices in dropping off and picking up their child. You may get in the south bound lane on Broadway and turn right into the parking lot or you may legally park, cross at the crosswalk with the crossing guard (to provide a good role model for all students) and then proceed to the front doors to get your child.

 I wanted to give all parents a heads-up so that you can decide which of these two options will best meet your needs.

Our students deserve to have to the safest environment possible and it takes all of us working as a team to make sure this happens. I appreciate your patience and flexibility as we make this very important and crucial change.

Please call my office if you have questions.

Respectfully,

Ms. Teri Peterson

Principal

Horace Mann Elementary

523-4400

Email: tpeterson2@spsmail.org