River Trails Homeowners Association

Thank you for asking.  Here is the response that the principal gave me.  also, Texas Education Code Chapter 8 deals with access to school campuses.  I don't have kids in the school anymore either, but all people have to do is ask.  Enjoy....

Thank you for your email and expressing the concerns from your neighbors. Please encourage them to visit with me, too, since all questions and concerns are appreciated and provide input to help the decision making process. The procedures resulted from concerns about safety inside and outside the building. On of our parent surveys we receive many concerns about the drop off and pick up areas and traffic concerns. Our safety goal team has studied our procedures and those of other campuses to create a system that meets all our needs. We are implementing some of the changes this year to evaluate their effectiveness and to work out any problems.  To address traffic concerns, we will have new procedures next year designed to keep the traffic moving with parents stopping only to pick up or drop off their child with additional supervision outside in the mornings and afternoons.  Parents are welcome to park in a designated area and walk their child in the building or to come in and meet with a staff member. By working on our dismissal procedures this year and having all students outside at dismissal with a grade level teacher, we hope to make this new system work for parents and to avoid creating frustrations for them and to keep our students safe as they make their way home.   While I love the open design of River Trails, there are outside exits at the end of each hallway downstairs that make it hard to monitor who is going in and out of the building especially during the busy times of arrival and dismissal. I hope that I have helped to answer some of your questions and those of your neighbors. Again, please encourage them to contact me with questions or concerns. I feel the strength of River Trails is the partnership between school and community and I don't want that to change. Thanks again,
Mary       Mary Stokic
Principal
River Trails Elementary
817.399.3443

I didnt mean for this to get this ugly i was angry and still am angry I asked the principal and she told me that there are too many doors to monitor and people they dont know, she said she knows me because i have been walking my girls to class for 5 years now.

I think what i take from this is either on our campus or another one something happened a parent took a kid or something happened and they dont wont the same thing to happen it just sucks i love to take my girls to class there has got to be a better way to do this, i couldnt even take donuts to my daughters class for teacher appreciation day its just crazy.

Oh well 4 weeks of school left

Thanks for the info 1990 but understand this - I did talk to Mrs. Stokic myself and was told that parents are loitering in the hallways and that is why they are not allowed to walk their child to their classrooms anymore.   And where's your info on Texas Education Code Chapter 8.  By just stating this doesn't mean it address the right of parents not to walk to class with their child.  Nice attempt to sway the subject.   On one of our parents surveys?  Whats this?  I have never taken a survey for Rivertrails.  Has anyone else.  So, by taking away a parents right to walk their child to class is going to correct their traffic problem?  How about a volunteer to direct traffic?  Most schools have them.  This just seems way too harsh and controlling.   What I way saying is the police wont get involved for chasing parents out of the building for taking their kid to class.  It is not an offense.  It's obviously not a concern of yours since your kids dont go to that school but mine does so it is a concern of mine.  I just love how some people feel the need to interject their opinion when they dont have a dog in the fight.  You are always making negative comments about kids and teenagers.  Wouldn't think you would give a hoot about this subject and I am not sure why you do.

Parent surveys are sent home, towards the end of the year, every year.  They just sent one home a few weeks ago.  It should have been in your child's moose.  I've filled one out just about every year since the school has opened.

I honestly dont see it as a big deal.  The times I have gone into the school to pick up my child/children after school, or to walk them to class, the hallways are a chaotic madhouse with parents and children running all over the place.  Its very crowded, noisy, and chaotic.  

You can still walk them to the front door of the school.  I dont see what the big deal is.  They are just trying to promote order and safety in the school, which is much needed.   Now if they can just do something about the chaos that is called 'extended day'.