Poll Dancing

Imagine my surprise today when I opened my mail, to find that I have a new polling location for upcoming elections.

And the new site is somewhat surprising to me.

You see, instead of voting at the quaint little church right down the hill ... instead, I'll be casting my ballot at a local "alternative" school.

I find this interesting on a couple of levels.

First, the church seems to me to be the perfect spot for polling. Quiet, empty on Tuesdays, ample parking, etc.

Secondly, there's been a recent trend to get schools OUT of the polling process, because of concerns over security and traffic.

Add to the fact that the new location is an "alternative" school ... and it's even stranger.

You see, these types of schools are set up for students who, for one reason or another, seem to fail in the traditional school environment.

Even its mission statement states that learning "will be accomplished by emphasizing the development of both academic and social skills."

So, here my question: Will these students benefit from the disruption of their daily routine, by a parade of strangers entering and exiting their parking lot and building.

Perhaps they will. Perhaps it will serve as a real-life lesson in democracy.

Or, it just might cause such a distraction, that learning on that particular day will become even more difficult.

I happen to know for a fact that neighbors of the school weren't really happy when it opened, probably because of the influx of "non-traditional" student in their neighborhood.

I wonder how they feel now ... knowing the congestion that voters will bring to the area.