JOHNSTOWN — Remember the Abbott and Costello “Who’s on first?” routine? Some Northridge school district residents have been experiencing the same emotions as the new school year nears due to the district reorganization.
Northridge Local Schools start the new school year on Aug. 20, and there are some major changes in store. All kindergarten through third-grade pupils will attend the newly renamed Northridge Primary in Alexandria; all fourth- and fifth-graders will go to the totally new Northridge Intermediate facility at the high school/middle school campus. Superintendent John Shepard said every family in the district should have received a postcard with district updates and information.
Making sure everyone gets to and from the right school building is one of the responsibilities of transportation supervisor Doug Peach. He said there will be some “bugs” to work out this year. As always, said Peach, bus routes are developed — as much as possible — to keep the length of students’ bus rides as brief as possible.
This year, he said, the longest estimated bus ride, from bus stop to school, will be about 1 hour and 30 minutes, with the earliest pickup scheduled for 6:30 a.m. Last year, he said, the longest ride was 1 hour, 15 minutes. Another difference, he said, is that last year the younger children were assigned to the shorter routes, when possible. Now, the Homer and Hartford children will have farther to go.
Peach said he understands parents’ concern about the possibility their kindergarten children may have to be on a bus for more than an hour each way.
“It’s a horrible thought,” he said, “but unfortunately, the distances are what they are.”
One potential solution is for parents to transport their children to the group pick-up points in Homer, Hartford and Alexandria. In other words, bus riders, not just village students, can meet at the pick-up points rather than waiting for pick-up at home. Peach said buses will load the students at those points and take them to the main campus area or directly to Alexandria.
The group pick-up point in Homer will be the old elementary building. Alexandria students will continue to assemble at the Alexandria school as they have been doing.
Concerned about children walking and waiting for the school bus in the dark or in inclement weather, the Croton Church of Christ is stepping up to help those pupils who would have been walking to Hartford Elementary. Pastor Dan Hamilton said those students may now meet at the church building in the morning to await their regular school bus pick-up, rather than going to the old elementary building. Hamilton said there will be at least two adult volunteers on duty to supervise the youngsters. Permissible arrival times have not yet been finalized.
“We’re hoping it works out,” Hamilton said. “I think it will work out well.”
Peach said he is looking for an additional pick-up point for Croton students, because of the way the town is laid out.
“I hope parents can bear with us,” Peach said. “Hopefully once things get going things will go smoothly. If a lot of parents start taking their children to the drop-off points, that will shorten the routes and make pick-up times a little later.”
Peach requests outlying parents who are planning to transport their children to the pick-up points to notify the bus garage at 967-7533.
“That way we’ll know if we have to worry about picking them up at home,” he explained. “They should also let us know if the children should be dropped off at the central point after school as well, rather than at home.”
Bus routes and pick-up times have been posted at the Alexandria, Homer and Croton post offices and libraries. Peach said that on the first day of school, children should be ready and waiting a couple of minutes before the scheduled pick-up time.
“Just give us a little leeway these first few days,” he said.
Each of the Northridge school building administrators and staff are planning orientations and Back to School nights to help students and parents prepare for the year.
Kindergarten orientation will be Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. in the primary building. Back to School night at Northridge Primary, for kindergarten through third-grade families, is scheduled for Aug. 19 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Orientation for intermediate students will also be on Aug. 19, with fourth-grade meetings starting at 6 p.m. and fifth-grade at 6:45 p.m.
Northridge Middle School orientation and open house will be held Aug. 18. Sixth-graders should meet in the gymnasium at 6 p.m.; seventh- and eighth-graders will assemble at 7 p.m.
Freshman orientation at the high school is Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.
Class lists will be posted at the primary and intermediate buildings by Aug. 11, as well as in the Alexandria, Croton and Homer libraries and post offices.
