Georgetown Day and parking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, if you're rule-abiding and don't live within walking distance of the school, then this new policy effectively blocks you from casual/routine visits to the classroom. By appointment only and with pre-arranged on campus parking is a very different regime.

If the L/MS school were located in a neighborhood with good public transit access (as the HS is), the policy might be reasonable. But even a five mile trip tends to take an hour or more if you have to rely on the buses in and out of Palisades (and that assumes that your home (point of departure) and maybe your workplace (next destination) are also public transit-accessible.

Some kids give detailed answers re what happened at school today; others don't. And some of the detailed answers are accurate; others aren't. And even if you get a detailed and accurate answer, presumably what your DC observes (and how s/he interprets it) differs from what you'd notice.

I'm not 19:52 but I think she has a valid point that shouldn't be treated so dismissively. She's not asking that other parents be compelled to walk their kids in -- she's asking that she have that option, as other GDS parents have had for years.

So, given the problems identified by the neighbors, what is the solution. The school has listened to the neighbors - how would you want them to structure things so that their concerns are also addressed?

[Anonymous]

PP, three things come to mind and I think all have been mentioned previously on the thread. They have to be done all together in order to make a difference. First, the school should attempt to renegotiate with the neighborhood. The school can offer to henceforth strictly police the parents who park illegally/drive badly/block driveways/litter etc. These parents get two warnings and then their child(ren) are asked to leave the school because of non-compliance. The specifics can obviously vary but this would protect the neighborhood from egregious parent behavior. GDS parents may not be moved by verbal warnings and fines, but no one will want their child dismissed from school. I believe parents would quickly comply. The renegotiation would also allow the compliant parents to legally park in the various spots around the school. Second, the school needs to creatively improve the car pool situation in the afternoon so that parents can use it without leaving children waiting in the hallways for long stretches of time. Third, the school has to build onsite parking for parents. There is no other viable long term solution if GDS wants to keep its community strong and vibrant.

[Anonymous]

Nine months & a new head of school later -- has this car pool line problem been worked out?

[Anonymous]

The carpool line has improved a little, but still a bit disorganized. Also, some kids take forever to get their kids in the car. Seriously, I have seen kids take their sweet time slowly putting item by item in the car, parent get out of their cars to chat, all while holding up the line. Yes, I have a lack of patience, but I personally feel that there must be a better way to handle this. I hear that Beauvoir's carpool uses electronic transponders to signal when cars are on the campus an where they are in the que. Kids are brought out groups at a time an assigned to spaces based on when the cars arrive. Highly efficient and smooth, though this may be more difficult with the GDS grounds and size of the school. But perhaps worthy of a review.

[Anonymous]

New GDS parents here. First, there are an overwhelming number of opportunities to meet other parents beyond drop off and pick up. We seem to have to hire a sitter every week because of the number of events they have scheduled for parents alone. Second, the contact lists are distributed--along with the online directory--so that parents can schedule playdates and other social gatherings very easily. Third, the teachers are totally accessible via email. And you can always schedule a meeting with anyone at the school with specific concerns. DH and I feel that the school has gone above and beyond trying to welcome and involve parents in the school.

As for the carpool, I believe that pre-Kers and Kers are generally exempt, although they are strongly encouraged to use the carpool. DC, who is in pre-K, actually prefers the carpool to being walked in/out, much to my surprise. I think that DC feels more independent going to the "big kid" school. Also, all the parent parking that I have observed in the neighborhood has been legal. I haven't seen blocked driveways, cars in crossing lanes, double parking, etc--which is actually a problem that plagues our neighborhood public elementary.

[Anonymous]

I am a new parent too, and of course there always two points of view. I do feel welcomed at the school and my child is happy so far. It seems this year that the school is unofficially allowing parents of the littlest kids to walk them in which is a blessing for so many of us. But I try to use the car pool line too, sometimes for my own needs to get to work and sometimes to follow the rules or during rain. The car pool line is ridiculous. It is never less than a 15 minute wait and I've tried different times to get there. When I do use it, its frustrating to wait that long and it worries me that this is what we'll need to do when DC is a bit older. Cars are lined up from 2:40 for the 3 p.m. pick up. I am sure that if every parent or caregiver has to use the line, it would be even worse. One of the reasons it moves right now is that a bunch of people are still walking in.

[Anonymous]

Thanks GDS parents for this discussion - it _almost_ makes me happy that DC was rejected!

Sounds like it would be useful if the school could organize a bus service. Has there been any discussion of that?

[Anonymous]

There's a bus service for the AM--kids can go from the upper school to the lower school. It's very popular and another bus has recently been added.

[Anonymous]

There is a bus that goes from the High School, where congestion is much much less of an issue. It runs every morning at 7:30, and I think they said they now have enough students to run two.

But the congestion is still a big deal. You really do have to feel sorry for the neighbors (and the commuters who travell down MacArthur every day). As for a bunch of Maryland/Virginia parents trying to "renegotiate" with the neighborhood association, well, that strikes me as hubris.

[Anonymous]

I think the neighborhood wasn't happy because of illegal parkers, blocked driveways, littering. I really cannot imagine there is a problem with parents using legal spots, in a courteous manner. Renegotiating for this should not be such a difficult proposition particularly if the schools kicks out kids if their parents or caregivers don't abide by the rules. Lots of GDS parents are DC residents, including myself. Some of us have parking stickers for the GDS zone. Its a shame that all of us are penalized now because some idiot parents in the past did not follow the rules and respect the neighbors.

The congestion issue is a real and separate issue. Unfortunately, it comes with the territory of most school neighborhoods including public schools. I don't mean to sound unsympathetic because I am not. GDS can eventually build a parking garage which will help tremendously as it will get rid of the car pool line that snakes down MacArthur Boulevard. Not to mention, we won't need to use as many neighborhood spots.

[Anonymous]

I'm a GDS parent and I am not necessarily persuaded that a parking garage is the solution. Want parents find it just as chaotic to get in and out of a parking garage? At the end of the day, the underlying reality is that the lower school campus is very small. While I do think the line could run a lot more smoothly - both parents and staff are to blame here - the line will be a bear because the LS campus and driveway is small unlike Beauvoir, Sidwell, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a GDS parent and I am not necessarily persuaded that a parking garage is the solution. Want parents find it just as chaotic to get in and out of a parking garage? At the end of the day, the underlying reality is that the lower school campus is very small. While I do think the line could run a lot more smoothly - both parents and staff are to blame here - the line will be a bear because the LS campus and driveway is small unlike Beauvoir, Sidwell, etc.

Ha, won't parents find it chaotic, not want parents.....

[Anonymous]

A parking lot would have to be designed smartly. Some people would still use the line. The entrance to the line would need to be separate from the entrance to the garage, among other things. But with a garage, ALL the faculty and staff would park in the garage, which would very substantially open up space for a multi-lane carpool line. Right now almost the whole LS and MS outdoor parking lots are taken up by staff cars. I think the potential to reduce chaos and annoy neighbors less is enormous.

[Anonymous]

Not a chance they'll build a garage in the foreseeable future. Sidwell's, remember, was part of a larger reconstruction project and its function wasn't to improve the car pool line or provide parking for parents.

Part of the MacArthur problem is lots of schools in a short stretch -- River and Lab have their own lines. Don't see distinct lines for St Pat's or OLV but they're in the mix as well.

[Anonymous]

Never say never. Parental pressure counts for a lot. All it would take is one or two families who are willing to fund it.