Students, parents and staff noticed a number of logistical changes at the new Oglethorpe County Elementary School during its first week.
Issues — particularly with the carpool lane — arose on Jan. 13, the first day in the new building, which combined students from the primary school and former elementary school.
Dropoff took “about an hour,” Superintendent Beverley Levine said.
“We misjudged how many cars there would be,” she said. “Many parents chose to drop their kids off just because it was the first day.”
Levine added elementary school students are accustomed to exiting the car on their own, while primary students expect a teacher’s assistance. The difference in procedures for elementary and primary students led to confusion.
The OCES staff made adjustments to the carpool process, including extending the drop-off area to allow more students to be dropped off at once.
On Tuesday morning, the carpool lane took about 30 minutes.
"We have shaved off all the time for car rider time that we can,” Levine said.
The new building also has increased safety measures.
All schools in the Oglethorpe County School System feature the CENTEGIX crisis alert system. Teachers can hit a button to quickly alert the OCES front office or the Oglethorpe County Sheriff’s Office.
The entrance to the elementary school is also protected by a system of two sets of doors. In order to access the building, visitors must be “buzzed in” to the lobby area. After this, they must speak to the school’s secretary.
All classrooms in the school have LifeBolt Locks, a lock designed to protect classroom doors. The school has also increased the number of security cameras both inside and outside of the building.
This period of transition continues for the primary and elementary school students, parents and staff, but Levine thanks parents for their patience and help.
“I cannot say enough about the parents and their patience,” Levine said. “I asked that their New Year’s resolution be patience with us.”