Town and school officials plan to work together in the coming year to solve the traffic problem surrounding the High School at peak hours.

School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Forcella said he plans to meet with Police Chief Neil Williams and Town Manager Michael McGovern to explore options for alleviating traffic problems at the school during the 7:30 a.m. dropoff, and at the 2 p.m. dismissal.

School Board members, at their December meeting, said traffic has been a problem at the High School for years, but that this is the first time a parent has lodged a formal complaint. In a letter to Forcella, McGovern and Williams, Farms Edge Road resident David Turseky called the situation horrendous and extremely dangerous.

"The safety issues raised purely by the volume of cars trying to exit and then return to Route 77 are substantially compounded by inclement weather, by drivers eager to go to work, and by perhaps inexperienced young drivers attempting to get to school," Turesky said in his letter. Kevin Sweeney, a member of the School Board, said traffic is just as bad at dismissal time as it is in the morning.

Four school buses serve the High School population daily, according to Community Services Director Sue Weatherbie. She estimated 20 percent of the 500 students in the High School take the bus. "It's not cool to ride the bus in High School," Weatherbie surmised. Also, once students obtain their driver's licenses in their senior and junior years, and some in their sophomore years, they begin driving themselves to school. She estimated 80-90 percent of upper classmen drive to school, while 75 percent of students who take the bus are freshmen.

She added that ridership is higher on the afternoon run home, meaning parents are likely dropping those students off in the morning on the way to work.

Turesky suggested placing a police officer at the intersection of Route 77 and the High School entrance in the mornings, but Town and School officials say they aren't sure what the solution should be.

Board member Elaine Moloney said there was plenty of traffic information gathered when the new community center, located just north of the High School entrance from Route 77, was being planed.

Forcella said that he as the superintendent wants to express this concern and to work with the town, but did not know if it was the School Board's place to come up with a solution.

In a telephone interview, Town Manager Michael McGovern said his suggestion would be assign a working group to review the problem and develop possible solutions.

Forcella said he plans to meet with McGovern and Williams after the first of the year.