The school was worried about the effect roadworks would have on back to school traffic.
The first-day commute for staff and parents of Otonga Road Primary School has gone smoothly, despite concerns about what effect nearby roadworks would have.
Principal Linda Woon was worried about the work at the nearby Springfield and Otonga Rds intersection and what effect it would have on the first day of school today.
She had worked with Rotorua Lakes Council to create a contingency plan, encouraging parents to walk from three alternative drop-off points instead of driving to the school gate in the morning.
The council is in the process of upgrading the roundabout at the intersection but the temporary traffic lights installed there are causing headaches for commuters.
Parents were being encouraged to walk from three drop off points instead of driving to the school gate. Photo / Andrew Warner
In the morning, Woon was happy with how school drop-offs went but said the test would be the afternoon when all the students left at the same time, instead of dripping in gradually in the mornings.
The school planned walking school buses to the three points in the afternoons run by Woon, and the deputy and assistant principals.
After the final bell, Woon said she was happy with how things had gone at pick-up time, though a few children had got on the wrong walking school bus.
"After school today there were quite a few children and parents in different places," she said.
"We think tomorrow will be better ... but there was a lot less traffic in front of the school that usual."
Woon welcomed parents to the school this morning, making sure every parent who entered the school knew about the drop-off points and walking school bus.
She'd also let parents know about the plan using Facebook, email and a newsletter before school started.
The first day back at Otonga Road Primary School went relatively smoothly. Photo / Andrew Warner
"A lot of people I talked to got something but didn't know what it meant," Woon said.
"We've done as much as we can and used every means of communication."
Woon had previously said she expected the first day back to be "awful" because a large portion of the students at the school came from out of zone.
"Otonga School has a problem with traffic congestion under normal, everyday circumstances because of the huge number who travel a long way to our school."
Teacher Kathleen Bright was manning the pedestrian crossing with young volunteers.
She said it would be interesting to see if parents took notice of the different entry and pick-up points and how it would work in the days to come, because many parents walked with their children on the first day.
One mum said the roadworks had affected how she got her child to school because she had avoided the intersection with roadworks. She said she would consider using the walking school buses the school had arranged for the afternoons.
Woon said the reaction from parents had been mixed, with some not willing to change their habits, but the school's contingency plan was good for residents and parents.
She said the walking school buses would likely continue even after the roadworks were completed as the children would have learned the routes by that point.
THE PLAN - To ease congestion, the walking school bus will deliver children to three pick-up points after school. - They are McDowell St, Nikau St and Moncur Drive. - The buses will be run by the principal, assistant principal and deputy principal. - In the morning parents should walk their children from one of those points but no walking bus will run. - Year 1 and new entrants will be collected as normal.
