A cooperative
partnership between the Duneland School Corporation (DSC), Chesterton Police
Department and Student Resource Officers (SROs), and the Town of Chesterton,
has improved and simplified traffic patterns at Chesterton Middle School
(CMS) this school year.
“All of these
adjustments are being made to keep our students safe and reduce congestion
in our parking and student drop-off areas,” said Superintendent Dr. Ginger
Bolinger. “We are fortunate to have such outstanding partnerships with local
law enforcement and the town officials.”
The new traffic
pattern down Morgan Avenue has incorporated the following components:
*Â All student
drop-offs are to take place on Morgan Avenue in the right lane.
*Â Drop-off
lane in the front of the school on Morgan Avenue has been lengthened.
*Â Parents are
asked to pull forward all the way to Door 4 when dropping off students.
*Â After the
student exits the car, parents should drive slowly and safely as they merge
back into traffic.
“Chief Dave
Cincoski of the Chesterton Police Department; Commissioner John Schnadenberg
of Chesterton Street Department; and Engineer Mark O’Dell of the Town of
Chesterton, have all been helping to assist the school as we make it safe
for our students at CMS,” said Mike Kellems, DSC manager of Safety and
Security, who also has been out in front of the school to observe and help
move traffic in the morning. “It seems to be working well so far.”
The School
Corporation sincerely appreciates the cooperative efforts of the local
Chesterton Police Dept. and town officials in helping to make this process a
smooth one.
The transition has
also been aided this year with the help of CMS administrators, teachers and
staff members who are now actively standing outside to monitor the drop-off
points as well as at the door entrances. The Chesterton Police Department
will continue to occasionally monitor the drop-off process at CMS.
Since the first day
of school, these officials, along with school SROs, have been present at the
school helping to ease parents into the new traffic pattern process. “It’s
just going to take time to get everyone on board with the new process and to
keep up this safe practice,” said Sgt. Randy Komisarcik, SRO.
The School
Corporation is currently reviewing the traffic pattern at CHS. The parking
lots at Liberty Elementary and Liberty Intermediate are now under
construction and the traffic pattern at both schools will be changing when
construction is completed.