Local Officials Issue Warnings and Reminders As New School Year Begins

by KYW's Brad Segall

It's back to school for those students who didn't begin the school year last week. And many suburban districts are becoming more aggressive when it comes to parents who knowingly send their children to the wrong schools.

It’s called “district hopping.” Parents who try to sneak their kids into a better school district by using someone else’s address are now on the radar screens of many districts.
 
Montgomery County first assistant DA Risa Ferman says it’s theft of services, and she says they typically see it in districts that border Philadelphia -- like Cheltenham, Lower Merion, and Abington:

"I certainly can understand why people want to put their children in a school where they can get the best education, but the reality of life is that if they want to get the benefit of the school districts in these areas; they need to live in these areas.”

In some cases, Ferman says, districts hire people to set up surveillance and follow people to their homes. The warning: if you get caught, they will prosecute you.

A Norristown woman was sent to jail for sending her four kids to the Colonial School District.

KYW's Tony Romeo reports that PennDOT is reminding motorists to keep an eye out for children as school bells start ringing again in the coming days.

PennDOT spokeswoman Sarah Gulick reminds drivers that Pennsylvania has a school bus stopping law:

"That says, when you meet a school bus with its red lights flashing and its stop arms extended, you must stop at least ten feet away from the school bus, and you should wait until the red lights stop flashing and the stop arm has been withdrawn before moving again. "

The only exception is for motorists on the opposite side of a divided highway -- that is, a road that is clearly separated by a divider such as a concrete barrier or grassy median.

Violators face a 60-day license suspension, five points on their record, and a $250 fine. Failure to obey the 15mph speed limit in school zones will result in a fine and three points on a motorist’s driving record.