Rye's Osborn School Shares New Arrival/Dismissal Procedures With Parents

RYE, N.Y. -- Parents of Osborn Elementary School children received a list of new arrival and dismissal procedures Tuesday aimed at improving safety in the congested Rye neighborhood.

The recommendations were made by a 16-member Osborn School Dismissal Committee, according to Principal Angela Garcia, who asked parents to "abide by the documented procedures and courtesies."

Committee Member Carolyn Chapman, who has two children at Osborn, called it "a good faith effort" that continues to improve and evolve."There's no easy answer,'' she said.

"The snow on the streets also makes it more difficult to park and walk,'' Chapman said.

Anne McCarthy, parent of an Osborn fourth grader, said, "There isn't much in the way of change here. There are a lot of reminders. The Committee did the best they could."

McCarthy echoed the sentiment of several other parents by stressing, "In order for there to be meaningful safety improvements at this location, the City needs to be involved since these are public streets, not school property."

The committee did not discuss or propose changes to city streets -- including crosswalks, speed bumps and signage -- because the City of Rye controls the traffic patterns and roads, Garcia said. Rye Schools Superintendent Frank Alvarez asked city officials including police for help on those issues.

Recommendations below are listed in the order they were relayed to parents on Tuesday:

• Walking (or parking and walking to school) are encouraged. Drive-by pick-up is discouraged "since the campus cannot hold the number of cars trying to enter."
• If a child must be assisted, the parent must park his/her car on the street and walk up to the school. Parents may not park their cars in the school driveways and get out of their cars for any reason. 
• Children must enter and exit cars on the passenger side of the vehicle. If this is not possible, the parent must park and walk up to the school.
• Car signs must be visible in the car window or you will be asked to park and walk up. The use of the signs speeds up the process so we can identify the child and class quickly. 
• There is no lefthand turn out of the front parking lot between 2:30-3:30 p.m. This is a new, enforceable Rye City law.
• Parents should schedule time outside of dismissal to discuss their child’s progress. Teachers' first priority is to dismiss children safely and quickly. 
• Conversations between parents after pick-up should take place on the playground or near the bike rack.
• No dogs may be brought on school grounds.
• Pickups by someone other than a parent or emergency contact must be communicated via a signed note. 

Sarah Derman, a spokeswoman for the Rye Central School District, said procedural changes went into effect Tuesday.

"The school had personnel strategically positioned around the entrance to remind parents to display signs, and to provide extra signs for those parents who had forgotten them, Derman said. "There was also a security guard located on Osborn road to remind parents not to turn left out of the driveway. The custodians and teachers will continue to remind parents of the new procedures."

Police and City officials also are aware of the new no left turn sign. "When and how they choose to enforce the new signage is entirely in their purview,'' Derman said.    

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