Teen driving safety will be focus of May 1 meeting
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON - Administrators in the Jackson School District are inviting the parents and guardians of students to attend a meeting at which teen driving safety will be discussed.

Parents will also hear about ways the community can work together to keep teenagers safe while they are on the road.

The meeting will take place May 1 at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center of Jackson Memorial High School, Don Connor Boulevard. The parents and guardians of all current high school juniors who will be looking to obtain parking privileges at Jackson's two high schools are invited to attend and are encouraged to bring their sons and daughters with them.

The meeting is part of new procedures the school district is implementing for students who want a parking permit, and it is designed to inform students and parents about new requirements and conditions of the permits. Under the new procedure, parents and guardians must attend one of two informational sessions about teen driving safety before their child will be issued a school parking permit.

"As a parent, it is often a stressful moment when your child gets behind the wheel of a car on his or her own for the first time," said Superintendent of Schools Thomas Gialanella. "Our comprehensive driver's education program goes a long way toward educating our students about how they can be safe, but there is also a great deal of information to be shared with parents and guardians as well. We are eager to share that information."

The district's new procedure centers on the idea that in order to obtain the privilege of parking on campus, students and parents must sign a contract that shows they agree that parking permits are contingent on students following the rules of New Jersey's Graduated Driver's License program.

Parents and guardians must also attend an informational meeting before their child will be granted a permit next year. The May 1 meeting satisfies that requirement, but if parents cannot attend that meeting, the district will hold a second informational meeting in the late summer.

"This meeting is the product of a continuing collaboration among the district, the Township Council, the Jackson Police Department, area business leaders and the Jackson Clergy Association to find ways to keep our students safe on the roads," Gialanella said. "I encourage parents to attend, even if they have no intention of allowing their student to drive to school during his or her senior year."