MATHIS, Texas — A policy at an elementary school has stirred up confusion and some controversy online right before students return from Summer Break.
"Parents and Guardians may walk their Elementary student to class for the first 3 days of school,” the post on the Mathis Elementary School Facebook page said.
Numerous commenters voiced concerns over what happens after the first three days of school.
“We had a prekinder child last year and she didn't learn her way to her class till almost the end of school,” Tina Ganceres commented. “This is not a good idea.”
Incoming school principal Patricia Pittman explained the policy change at length Tuesday. She says it's based upon where students eat breakfast. In previous years students have eaten breakfast in their classrooms. The new policy has that meal, and lunch and dinner, served in the cafeteria.
"It is about pest control and safety," Pittman said explaining her policy. "I can't have children in a classroom that has rodents and things like that in it. I want to alleviate as much of that problem as I can."
Parents are welcome to eat breakfast with their children in the cafeteria, but at 7:45 a.m. the school day begins. At that point parents are to go home, and teachers will walk their students to their classrooms.
Some parents were comforted by the extra explanation, but some concerns remain.
"[I'm not worried] so much with her, because she's older," Hilary Flores said about her 2nd grader daughter Anisa. "But the pre-kindergartners and kindergartners, I believe that they need their parents to walk them to class."
