Concord Goes Back-to-School

Unlike 2012, when the Concord School District unveiled three new elementary schools and had major traffic and student drop-off problems, it was a relatively calm first day back-to-school for kids in Concord.

There were, however, some minor issues, here and there.

A number of buses were late to their destinations in both the morning and afternoon, due to a number of new routes and times.

Over at the Abbot-Downing Elementary School, new parking restrictions and pickup rules were working in parts of the South End. After a number of resident complaints and a meeting in May, the Concord City Council, approved parking restrictions that limited drop-off areas. A number of parents ignored new “no parking” signs this morning on Bow Street and other side streets on the eastern part of the school. But on Conant Drive, and other streets on the western side of the school, things were pretty quiet.

Over at the McAuliffe Elementary School, which had major problems with drop-offs in 2012, students were gathered inside the school before class due to work on the school grounds.

The school district made significant repairs during the summer to the playground area and amphitheater due to water drainage problems on the grounds of the school. The grounds were re-graded and pipes were installed to move the water away from the school’s foundation and keep the grounds from becoming muddy.

Matt Cashman, the director of facilities and planning for the school district, said McAuliffe students would be kept off the playground areas “through the fall to allow for good grass growth.” The ban from students playing on the grounds will be reassessed in the spring, he said.

Students at McAuliffe were separated into different areas of the school before class, according to an email to parents, with parents dropping off students on North Spring Street and buses dropping off students on Rumford Street.

A police officer was also called to traffic duty in the area of the Mill Brook Primary and Broken Ground elementary schools just before school started, which also had problems last year.

Did you take pictures of your kids going back-to-school on Aug. 27? Post a back-to-school blog on Patch and show everyone how it went at your school!