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Parent asks Watertown School Board to revisit decision barring open-enrollment bus drop-offs at Boys and Girls Club
Summary
Jackie Jacobson, a Watertown parent, urged the board to clarify and reconsider a change that would prevent open-enrolled students from being dropped off at the Boys and Girls Club, citing South Dakota Codified Law 13-28-45 and asking whether the board or administrators made the decision.
Jackie Jacobson, a Watertown parent, told the Watertown School Board the district had notified Florence that open-enrolled students would no longer be permitted to be dropped off at the Boys and Girls Club this fall, citing “South Dakota codified law 13 28 45.” Jacobson said the bus arrangement is run and insured by the sending districts, comes at no cost to Watertown, and has worked for years.
"Was it discussed and directed by the board or was it an administrative decision?" Jacobson asked, saying parents received differing explanations from board members and asking the district to share any documented traffic study or safety assessment that supported the change. She warned that moving the drop-off point could increase vehicle traffic and require younger children to walk along busy streets in South Dakota weather to reach the club.
Jacobson asked whether the district consulted Boys and Girls Club staff or its board before implementing the change. She closed by asking the board to revisit the cooperative agreement with Florence and surrounding districts so affected students can "safely reach the club." The board did not provide a full formal response on the record during public comment; trustees later continued with the agenda.
