At last month’s “Five on Five” meeting between the Township Council and the Board of Education, several parents shared safety concerns about themselves and their children walking outside of Harrison School, specifically during drop-off and dismissal.
The worries stem from a change in policy at the school that started in September, when a new pick-up policy was implemented at Harrison. Instead of students waiting in the parking lot for their rides to pick them up, parents now must meet their child at the door. This is how Livingston’s other elementary schools have operated, but the narrow, busy roads and limited parking surrounding Harrison, specifically along North Livingston Avenue, has raised concerns.
During that Five on Five meeting, Council member Michael Vieira asked that the previous dismissal policy be reinstated. Superintendent of schools Matthew Block, however, said that after witnessing both policies in action, the current system is the safer one. We are sure that Block has justified reasons for believing that the current system is better than the former one; but what is certainly clear, is that neither is working particularly well and that more changes are needed.
The residents of Longacre Drive, Briarcliff Road, and other streets adjacent to Harrison School, who all voiced their concerns about safety during dismissals at the meeting, are not taking time out of their evening to discuss a nonexistent issue. One resident read a letter signed by 60 concerned parents. There is a problem, and the solution has not yet been determined.
At the meeting, Deputy Mayor Ed Meinhardt suggested putting together a small committee to try to resolve these issues. There are, of course, other student pedestrian-related concerns to address, as well. Some parents noted the lack of a crossing guard on the path to the school near Longacre Drive. Another mentioned an abundance of potholes at another school, Burnet Hill. All of these could feasibly be addressed by this theoretical committee.
If nothing else, gathering a group of individuals to take a serious look at these problems is as fine a place as any to start in addressing this issue. Anything is better than simply telling dozens of parents concerned for their children’s safety that their fears are simply unwarranted.
