Kids not allowed on school playground before school w/o parent?

[Anonymous]

My 4th and 5th graders want to walk the few blocks to school on their own this year. Depending on how fast they walk, they’ll possibly get to school 5-10 min before the doors open, but school is saying kids can’t be on school grounds without a parent before the doors open. Do other schools do this? This seems nuts to me.

[Anonymous]

If your kid falls and gets hurt, the school is still liable. They don't want to take the risk.

[Anonymous]

It makes sense to me. Students are to get to school within a time frame. Have them leave 5 minutes later from the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4th and 5th graders want to walk the few blocks to school on their own this year. Depending on how fast they walk, they’ll possibly get to school 5-10 min before the doors open, but school is saying kids can’t be on school grounds without a parent before the doors open. Do other schools do this? This seems nuts to me.

Yes, other schools do it. Unless your kids are in before care, they absolutely have a time that they are allowed to be on school property. For our school, it is 15 minutes before school starts.

[Anonymous]

Makes perfect sense to me. I think this is one of those things where it isn't the most convenient policy for you so you are having trouble thinking beyond yourself.

[Anonymous]

It's just interesting b/c kids could play on school grounds at night or weekends without parents and that's ok.

[Anonymous]

If this were allowed schools would have any number of problems, including parents dumping kids at the playground early on a regular basis, etc.

I'm sure administrators would have nightmares about parents claiming they dropped off Jimmy at 7:30 but Jimmy never showed up for class. Elementary schools in the early morning could become pretty easy pickings for pervs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's just interesting b/c kids could play on school grounds at night or weekends without parents and that's ok.

Right but I think its much more obvious at those times that the school is not responsible for your child. 15 minutes before school starts, its murkier.

[Anonymous]

I'm more used to an adult is not allowed on the playground without a kid present.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm more used to an adult is not allowed on the playground without a kid present.

Two completely different rules for two completely different purposes. You seem to not be that bright.

[Anonymous]

Our school starts at 8. They will not allow any kid to step foot on property prior to 7:45.

[Anonymous]

It's another part of modern life, OP. When we were kids, we could do that, but now, kids are too fragile and parents are too helicopterish and litigious.

[Anonymous]

I think it makes sense. Otherwise you will get the parents who think its ok to drop their kids off 30-60 mins before school starts, in all weathers, because they dont want to pay for morning childcare. They have to have a policy in place to prevent this.

[Anonymous]

At our school kids regularly get to school early. I think the gates open 30 minutes before the bell. The school hires crossing guards/supervisors to watch the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's another part of modern life, OP. When we were kids, we could do that, but now, kids are too fragile and parents are too helicopterish and litigious.

I remember my elementary school not letting kids play at the playground before school too, and that was 30 years ago. The notion of not wanting small children playing unsupervised on school property instead of parents finding/providing care is not new.