Since the start of the school year, approximately seventy-five students can be found waiting on the front steps of the building before 7:30 a. m. each day without any direct adult supervision.
Many people assume that once a child is on school grounds on a school day that the responsibility of that child is handed over to the school and its staff. However, that is not the case.
“We are only responsible for the students fifteen minutes before school’s regulatory hours have started until fifteen minutes after it ends,” said assistant principal Victoria Ragan.
If a student comes forty-five minutes before the school’s starting time, supervision has not officially started.
“Legally, staff and teachers are supposed to be in their designated area within fifteen minutes before school, and are allowed to leave fifteen minutes after school. Anything that happens outside of those hours, we, the administration and staff, are not responsible,” said assistant principal Mr. Scott Underwood.
With a new arrival policy comes a new dismissal policy. This year all students are to leave the building within thirty minutes after the final bell. The same situation applies: supervision is held until fifteen minutes after dismissal, and then it ceases. Even though the school does not take responsibility of the children before and after school, it does follow up on any incidents that do occur.
According to state law, if a student engages in any activities in violation of school rules before or after school, on or off the grounds, those students are to be written up and their infractions recorded, and reported to the school board.
The school is responsible for a child's infractions but not responsible for the child.
Ultimately it is the parent’s responsibility if anything happens to their child while on school grounds before the doors open.
“We try to communicate with everyone’s parents and every parent has been forewarned and notified of the new time policy, so it’s their responsibility,” said executive principal Dr. Schunn Turner.
Some suggestions have been made to accommodate the early-arriving students. Since teachers do not have to be at school until fifteen minutes before it starts, any supervision beforehand will have to be voluntary.
“I have the power to place a teacher in that position, of course with their cooperation and willingness, but the money is not there,” said Dr. Turner.
The starting time for school last year was at 7:45a.m., but this year it changed to 8:00a.m. The opening regulation time for MNPS (Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools), is taken into consideration by the surrounding community and the school board. However, since MLK is one of the three magnet high schools in Nashville, its starting time is influenced by the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority).
“Since MLK is a public school opened to all of Davidson County and not just a designated zone, it leaves the decision to the MTA,” said Dr. Turner.