Road to Kindergarten Vol. 3

Some of you may recall the great Kindergarten transportation conundrum we have found ourselves in for the fall. This was a question I specifically asked at Information Night, because our home address makes Morgan a PM student, but our sitter's address is located with the AM students. You may also recall that the answer to my questions was to "Just turn in your form and we'll take care of it."

I turned in my form.

Yesterday, I got a call from the Transportation Department.

"Mrs. Norcross, we seem to have a problem with your form. See, Morgan is a PM student, but your daycare provider is in the AM zone. I won't be able to pick her up."

Excuse me?

"My buses don't go over there at mid-day. We'll be able to take her there after school, because the buses run everywhere in the afternoon, but not midday."

Again, excuse me? This is their way of taking care of it? Not providing transportation to my child? And P.S. Bay Village is 5 miles long by 1 mile wide at the widest point, how much of an inconvenience could it possibly be to run the bus over there?

"Well, when I asked this specific question at information night, I was told that all I needed to do was fill out the form and there would either be an arrangement to pick her up, or she would be placed with the AM students."

"I can't do that. She's been assigned to PM by the principal. You would have to ask him to re-assign her."

Okay, there is only one due date on the transportation information. it says to turn in my form by July 1st and I will receive a letter in August notifying me of the AM/PM decision and where the bus stop is. apparently, for kids on the borders they may switch them around after they have a total headcount. There is no talk of principal interaction here.

"So when I was told to 'just turn in my form' that really meant that I also had to petition the principal of the elementary school?"

Okay I didn't say that. What I said was, "Well, do you have the number where I can reach the principal to take care of this?"

"Well, obviously school is out."

No shit!

"Sometimes he goes in during the summer, so you can just call there in the mornings and try to catch him."

Okay, I'll just spend the rest of my summer hoping I will randomly catch the principal at the elementary school.

I mean, am I wrong to think there should be a more appropriate solution? And why do I have to do the leg work here? So on my next Wednesday off (because I had planned a zoo trip that was not about to be cancelled due to imbecile negligence) I will be harassing the Board of Education until they give me a way to contact this elusive principal.

And the worst part is, he's going to immediately think that I am going to be one of those pain in the ass parents, when IT WAS NOT MY FAULT!