Here are a couple items that constitute a problem for parents at William Hall Elementary:
But many parents don't think William Hall Elementary is a safe environment for their children. The school sits on Marlboro Pike, which handles heavy, fast-moving traffic and is also home to numerous liquor stores, with one sitting right across the street from the new school.
Okay, now I know county land for schools is often a little scarce, but did anyone involved with the site planning of this school think about the liquor stores across the street. And Oh, yeah, does it strike anyone else as sane to put a ELEMENTARY school next to a busy four lane highway? Which by the way has no crosswalks and parents and kids literally have to thread a dangerous needle to cross teh street.
And this little excerpt:
Verdi Mathis is concerned about the lack of sidewalks on her son's eight-block walk to school. Anita Anderson and other parents are handing out fliers urging parents to fight for bus transportation for all students.
"Yes, they've given us a brand new school to educate our children, but what about the danger you've put our children in?" she said.
[County Executive Jack] Johnson visited the school Monday morning and said he'd like to see more crossing guards and sidewalks near the school.
A couple of htings here. First, yes, the lack of sidewalks and crosswalks is a serious screwup by the county. But why would the county expend money to bus a kid 8 blocks--eight blocks, which is somehting like 3/4 of a mile. Are our kids so lazy (and their parents too) that eight (8) blocks is too far to walk??!!!
Second, the highest ranking government official in the County visits the school and says he would like to see more crossing guards. If I were the executive I wouldn't "like to see," I would make sure ther were there immediately, even if I have to do it myself or shanghai office staff to do it.
In an update today,
A newly painted crosswalk is in place, which was barely visible on Monday, the first day of school. Crews have also begun stringing the necessary wires to install stoplights.
A crosswalk without a stoplight on a busy, four-lane highway is about as effective as a screen door on a submarine. Well, at least corrective action is being taken, but I love this one from the County School CEO(what ever happened to the title of Superintendent?).
"We made, unfortunately, the mistake of not having the personnel in place where they should have been and there's no excuse for that," said acting Prince George's County schools CEO Howard Burnett. "We're going to make sure students have a safe pathway to and from school and make sure that they're safe once they reach the facility."
"We made a mistake" You think!! It doesn't take a genius to look around and see that there are no sidewalks or visible crosswalk (with no stop light either). What idiot visited this school, looked around and said, "Yep, its ready to go" without looking into the surroundings.
More from the school CEO
Burnett came to the school to get a first-hand look at some of the problems. He said he's going to take a look at the community to see where there are no sidewalks and see what needs to be done to ensure student's safety.
Prince George's county Maryland has more than its share of poor peforming schools for a variety of reasons, but it seems to me that if basic things regarding school construction are overlooked, how can this administration be expected to actually educate kids effectively.
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