Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious about this-if a child is old enough to be out and responsible in public (like a 9 or 10 yo usually is)...then what exactly can MCPS do if a 10 yo is sitting outside waiting to come into the school? Its still a free country last time I checked.

A "free country" doesn't mean the school system can't restrict who is on school property at given hours. MCPS doesn't want children there before they're ready to open the doors because if something happens to them, there's not one there to help them or take responsibility for the situation. But the parents will sue anyway, costing the district a lot of money in defense. So yes, the school can tell you that your child can't be wandering the grounds before school is open for the day.

Yes, the school can tell the OP that. But what if the OP (like many other parents) does it anyway? Then what?

Schools system/locality may (and probably) does have regulations about when unsupervised children are allowed on the property. If they find unsupervised children on the property, they can call the parents to come get them. If the parents refuse, they can refer the matter to the police/CPS. I don't know that the school system would actually take it that far, especially if the kids aren't making trouble, but they could.

So in your view, its totally fine for children to stand unsupervised on the sidewalk at the school boundary line, but if they cross that line, all of a sudden they are being neglected and CPS should investigate?

Where did I say that? I'm simply talking about the regulations that the school system can put on the use of its property. It's entirely possible the schools are fine with kids doing whatever they want off school property, but they don't want unsupervised kids on the school property during hours of operation because they don't want the risk of liability if kids get hurt. If the kids are wandering the neighborhood, that's clearly on the parents for permitting it, but as soon as Larla drops her kids off in front of the school 15 minutes before the doors open, you know she's going to blame the school if one falls down the steps and breaks a leg, or never makes it inside the building one morning.

MCPS has walk boundaries where they won't send buses. They plan and expect kids to be walking to school. Is that what you call "wandering the neighborhood"?

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why its OK for kids to walk to school alone but once they get there, they can't wait alone for the doors to be unlocked. Its just not logical.

We are in FCPS and there are always walkers standing waiting for a few minutes before the doors are unlocked. You start walking, you get to school a few minutes before the doors are unlocked, that's just how it happens. And no one has a problem with it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious about this-if a child is old enough to be out and responsible in public (like a 9 or 10 yo usually is)...then what exactly can MCPS do if a 10 yo is sitting outside waiting to come into the school? Its still a free country last time I checked.

A "free country" doesn't mean the school system can't restrict who is on school property at given hours. MCPS doesn't want children there before they're ready to open the doors because if something happens to them, there's not one there to help them or take responsibility for the situation. But the parents will sue anyway, costing the district a lot of money in defense. So yes, the school can tell you that your child can't be wandering the grounds before school is open for the day.

Yes, the school can tell the OP that. But what if the OP (like many other parents) does it anyway? Then what?

Schools system/locality may (and probably) does have regulations about when unsupervised children are allowed on the property. If they find unsupervised children on the property, they can call the parents to come get them. If the parents refuse, they can refer the matter to the police/CPS. I don't know that the school system would actually take it that far, especially if the kids aren't making trouble, but they could.

So in your view, its totally fine for children to stand unsupervised on the sidewalk at the school boundary line, but if they cross that line, all of a sudden they are being neglected and CPS should investigate?

Where did I say that? I'm simply talking about the regulations that the school system can put on the use of its property. It's entirely possible the schools are fine with kids doing whatever they want off school property, but they don't want unsupervised kids on the school property during hours of operation because they don't want the risk of liability if kids get hurt. If the kids are wandering the neighborhood, that's clearly on the parents for permitting it, but as soon as Larla drops her kids off in front of the school 15 minutes before the doors open, you know she's going to blame the school if one falls down the steps and breaks a leg, or never makes it inside the building one morning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
And for the people who say that children are "not allowed" to wait in front of the school before adults supervisors arrive, that's a ridiculous and untenable position.

There is no law that prohibits a child waiting at school. A responsible fourth grader can wait at school and know not to wander off or get into a stranger's car. Plus, there will be other children around, OP is not the only parent in this predicament, who won't or can't pay for before care.

How helicopter can you get. Really.

Dear Queen of the non-helicopters,
Do you really think that people are allowed to do whatever they want on school grounds?
Our principal has made it extremely clear even last year and the year before that you are not allowed to leave your child unsupervised school grounds before the school is open.
Einstein, it ain't your property and you cant just dump your kid there just because your free range behind thinks it's ok! It's not a question of safety, it's a
question of liability!!

So, its OK for the children to just stand across the street and wait, then?

Anonymous wrote:
And for the people who say that children are "not allowed" to wait in front of the school before adults supervisors arrive, that's a ridiculous and untenable position.

There is no law that prohibits a child waiting at school. A responsible fourth grader can wait at school and know not to wander off or get into a stranger's car. Plus, there will be other children around, OP is not the only parent in this predicament, who won't or can't pay for before care.

How helicopter can you get. Really.

How the-rules-don't-apply-to-me can you get. Really.

I don't understand why its OK for kids to walk to school alone but once they get there, they can't wait alone for the doors to be unlocked. Its just not logical.

Anonymous wrote:
And for the people who say that children are "not allowed" to wait in front of the school before adults supervisors arrive, that's a ridiculous and untenable position.

There is no law that prohibits a child waiting at school. A responsible fourth grader can wait at school and know not to wander off or get into a stranger's car. Plus, there will be other children around, OP is not the only parent in this predicament, who won't or can't pay for before care.

How helicopter can you get. Really.

Dear Queen of the non-helicopters,
Do you really think that people are allowed to do whatever they want on school grounds?
Our principal has made it extremely clear even last year and the year before that you are not allowed to leave your child unsupervised school grounds before the school is open.
Einstein, it ain't your property and you cant just dump your kid there just because your free range behind thinks it's ok! It's not a question of safety, it's a
question of liability!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure how they plan to regulate this. Children are allowed to be unsupervised (though not supervise younger children) at age 8 in MD. MCPS allows people on school grounds during time while school is not in session. So it seems that she would be allowed to be there. It they tried to restrict her from school grounds, it seems that they would have no way to keep her from waiting just off school grounds.

They are allowed to be left alone at home, on your personal property. Not on the school property. If you don't think that the schools know that this is going to be a huge problem this year (thanks bell times), then good luck. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of you getting phone calls from the school, and eventually CPS if you plan on making this your daily plan. Have fun!

They can be alone in public, though. School property is public, right?

It is property owned by the government, and in that sense it is private. The local government still has the right to pass reasonable regulations about when the public may come onto the property.

I don't understand your point. We have MCPS government property in our neighborhood that is open to the public before 8:45 in the morning.

PP here, where I said private, I meant to say public. The local government gets to decide when its various pieces of property are open to the public. It can make different rules for different properties, so there's no conflict between them saying that, for instance, a public park is open at dawn, but a school property, where there are already children inside for before-care, is not open to the public during hours of operation unless those members of the public are permitted inside the school at that time. If school properties were completely open to the public all the time, would you want all the weirdos and unprosecuted sexual offenders allowed to wander the school property, look in the windows, hang out on the playgroup during recess, etc.? I'm sure you wouldn't, you like having regulations on public property when it suits you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure how they plan to regulate this. Children are allowed to be unsupervised (though not supervise younger children) at age 8 in MD. MCPS allows people on school grounds during time while school is not in session. So it seems that she would be allowed to be there. It they tried to restrict her from school grounds, it seems that they would have no way to keep her from waiting just off school grounds.

They are allowed to be left alone at home, on your personal property. Not on the school property. If you don't think that the schools know that this is going to be a huge problem this year (thanks bell times), then good luck. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of you getting phone calls from the school, and eventually CPS if you plan on making this your daily plan. Have fun!

You think Child Protective Services should be called if a ten year old is in public alone?

It's not about being in public alone, it's about children being in a place they are not permitted to be at that time, and not being able to reach a parent to come get them.

By the reasoning of some people here, my kids could jump the fence at the regional (government-owned) pool after it's closed for the day, and there's not a thing anyone could do about it. That's not how it works, people.

No, but I think your kids could stand outside the locked gate on public property waiting for the pool to open in the morning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious about this-if a child is old enough to be out and responsible in public (like a 9 or 10 yo usually is)...then what exactly can MCPS do if a 10 yo is sitting outside waiting to come into the school? Its still a free country last time I checked.

A "free country" doesn't mean the school system can't restrict who is on school property at given hours. MCPS doesn't want children there before they're ready to open the doors because if something happens to them, there's not one there to help them or take responsibility for the situation. But the parents will sue anyway, costing the district a lot of money in defense. So yes, the school can tell you that your child can't be wandering the grounds before school is open for the day.

Yes, the school can tell the OP that. But what if the OP (like many other parents) does it anyway? Then what?

Schools system/locality may (and probably) does have regulations about when unsupervised children are allowed on the property. If they find unsupervised children on the property, they can call the parents to come get them. If the parents refuse, they can refer the matter to the police/CPS. I don't know that the school system would actually take it that far, especially if the kids aren't making trouble, but they could.

So in your view, its totally fine for children to stand unsupervised on the sidewalk at the school boundary line, but if they cross that line, all of a sudden they are being neglected and CPS should investigate?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure how they plan to regulate this. Children are allowed to be unsupervised (though not supervise younger children) at age 8 in MD. MCPS allows people on school grounds during time while school is not in session. So it seems that she would be allowed to be there. It they tried to restrict her from school grounds, it seems that they would have no way to keep her from waiting just off school grounds.

They are allowed to be left alone at home, on your personal property. Not on the school property. If you don't think that the schools know that this is going to be a huge problem this year (thanks bell times), then good luck. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of you getting phone calls from the school, and eventually CPS if you plan on making this your daily plan. Have fun!

You think Child Protective Services should be called if a ten year old is in public alone?

It's not about being in public alone, it's about children being in a place they are not permitted to be at that time, and not being able to reach a parent to come get them.

By the reasoning of some people here, my kids could jump the fence at the regional (government-owned) pool after it's closed for the day, and there's not a thing anyone could do about it. That's not how it works, people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure how they plan to regulate this. Children are allowed to be unsupervised (though not supervise younger children) at age 8 in MD. MCPS allows people on school grounds during time while school is not in session. So it seems that she would be allowed to be there. It they tried to restrict her from school grounds, it seems that they would have no way to keep her from waiting just off school grounds.

They are allowed to be left alone at home, on your personal property. Not on the school property. If you don't think that the schools know that this is going to be a huge problem this year (thanks bell times), then good luck. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of you getting phone calls from the school, and eventually CPS if you plan on making this your daily plan. Have fun!

They can be alone in public, though. School property is public, right?

It is property owned by the government, and in that sense it is private. The local government still has the right to pass reasonable regulations about when the public may come onto the property.

I don't understand your point. We have MCPS government property in our neighborhood that is open to the public before 8:45 in the morning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious about this-if a child is old enough to be out and responsible in public (like a 9 or 10 yo usually is)...then what exactly can MCPS do if a 10 yo is sitting outside waiting to come into the school? Its still a free country last time I checked.

A "free country" doesn't mean the school system can't restrict who is on school property at given hours. MCPS doesn't want children there before they're ready to open the doors because if something happens to them, there's not one there to help them or take responsibility for the situation. But the parents will sue anyway, costing the district a lot of money in defense. So yes, the school can tell you that your child can't be wandering the grounds before school is open for the day.

Yes, the school can tell the OP that. But what if the OP (like many other parents) does it anyway? Then what?

Schools system/locality may (and probably) does have regulations about when unsupervised children are allowed on the property. If they find unsupervised children on the property, they can call the parents to come get them. If the parents refuse, they can refer the matter to the police/CPS. I don't know that the school system would actually take it that far, especially if the kids aren't making trouble, but they could.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure how they plan to regulate this. Children are allowed to be unsupervised (though not supervise younger children) at age 8 in MD. MCPS allows people on school grounds during time while school is not in session. So it seems that she would be allowed to be there. It they tried to restrict her from school grounds, it seems that they would have no way to keep her from waiting just off school grounds.

They are allowed to be left alone at home, on your personal property. Not on the school property. If you don't think that the schools know that this is going to be a huge problem this year (thanks bell times), then good luck. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of you getting phone calls from the school, and eventually CPS if you plan on making this your daily plan. Have fun!

You think Child Protective Services should be called if a ten year old is in public alone?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure how they plan to regulate this. Children are allowed to be unsupervised (though not supervise younger children) at age 8 in MD. MCPS allows people on school grounds during time while school is not in session. So it seems that she would be allowed to be there. It they tried to restrict her from school grounds, it seems that they would have no way to keep her from waiting just off school grounds.

They are allowed to be left alone at home, on your personal property. Not on the school property. If you don't think that the schools know that this is going to be a huge problem this year (thanks bell times), then good luck. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of you getting phone calls from the school, and eventually CPS if you plan on making this your daily plan. Have fun!

They can be alone in public, though. School property is public, right?

It is property owned by the government, and in that sense it is private. The local government still has the right to pass reasonable regulations about when the public may come onto the property.