SUPERINTENDENT DR. JOHN BARRY
SOUTHWICK – Traffic before the first bell at Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School is just part of the morning routine but since the addition of grades seven and eight in the building, the situation seems to be worse.
Pamela Petschke brought up her concerns during the regional school committee meeting this week. Superintendent John Barry said unfortunately, the line of cars with parents dropping off children is a constant issue.
“But it’s worse,” Petschke said of the traffic since the addition of two grades, noting she drives by the school around 7:20 a.m. every morning on her way to work.
Barry said relief would come in two ways. One is to utilize buses, and the other would take place in the fall when the drop-off and pick-up loop in the parking lot is complete. He also said when the snow and ice are not a factor that students could be dropped off by Powder Mill and walk up the hill.
“In the fall the parent drop-off wil be usable,” he said. “The idea of that is so people can get in and out faster, but we’re still going to encourage everyone to use the buses.”
Barry said there really was no other solution.
“That’s about all we can do,” he said. “If parents want to drop-off their kids, they will have to wait.”
Traffic signals are being installed by the town near the schools, including one at Feeding Hills Road and Rebecca Lobo Way, which is the entrance to the high school. Barry said there would also be two stop signs and a yield sign leading into the loop.
