Board of Education Says No Library Drop-Off

The Montville Board of Education addressed at a recent meeting the issue of using the township's public library as a pick-up and drop-off point for high school students, maintaining its policy of encouraging parents and students not to use the library in that capacity.

"We are aware that the library has been used as a pick-up and drop-off point for high school students," Superintendent Dr. Paul Fried said. "The library board is concerned about the issue of traffic, congestion and safety that this practice raises."

Fried said that he would urge MTHS Principal Dr. Frank Calabria to issue a notice to parents, urging them not to use the library as a waypoint for student commuting.

"We want to act as good neighbors and remind parents not to use the library in that way," he said.

According to Fried, he met with members of the library board and discussed options to address the issue, such as allowing morning drop-off with supervision from the school. Fried eventually decided against the practice, citing liability issues.

"I felt that could be a liability issue, us watching our kids on someone else's property," he said. "If we provide supervision, it is as if we are sanctioning it, or giving permission to it."

Board member Jackie Ritschel said that if the district were to allow supervision of morning drop-off, it would be a first.

"In six years, as far as I know, pick-up and drop-off have never been sanction by the board," she said. "There was never been written permission from the board."

The library board discussed the issue at its August meeting, upholding its ruling that the parking lot should be for library use only, not as a point for students to meet parents or as an auxiliary parking lot.

"I don't want to be a witness, on behalf of the library, when someone gets real hurt out there," said Allan Kleiman, the library's interim director. "In the afternoon, this is an accident waiting to happen. This lot is not big enough nor was it designed to be a drop-off or pick-up point."

The next library board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 13. The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21.