Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Front Drive Redesign - Input Sought - 5/7 @ 7 PM

The King School community can soon look forward to many building improvements, thanks to funding approved by voters in 2004 that included modernizations to all K-12 buildings. At King School, construction will happen primarily during the summer of 2009; however, the planning for this is underway. This letter communicates important information about the planning at King—including repaving the front drive and a proposed redesign of the front drive.

The redesign of the front drive is intended to better ensure student safety during the busiest times of the day. The plan includes:
• A separate drop-off/pick-up lane for parents for use in the AM/PM;
• An “island” where students will transition to/from cars;
• A metal (but not chainlnk) fence on the “island” that will block students from crossing into the bus lane anywhere except at the crossing area directly in line with the front doors of the school;
• Increasing the width of the circle drive as much as 25 feet;
• Using grassy area in front of the school for the new drop-off/pick-up lane and the “island.”

King's Building Renovation Team has been meeting since September 2007 to consider and review improvements needed at King. The team includes representatives from the PTO, School Improvement Team and King faculty as well as experts from the district including architects, building planning personnel, traffic engineers, and facilities personnel.

In December 2007 the team sought input from the MLK community about the renovations. Now we are seeking input again--specifically on the front drive redesign—for consideration by the team. A meeting to share the plans and gather additional input will be held on May 7 at 7 PM at King School. Anyone who would like to give input is encouraged to attend.

To assist us in planning for the May 7 meeting, please RSVP by calling 994-1940 by May 7 at 9 AM or by sending an email to karrk@aaps.k12.mi.us. If you cannot attend but would like to give input via email, that can also be sent to karrk@aaps.k12.mi.us.