“Answer number three.” “Put your phones away.” “Who wants to read next?” “Could you close the window? The lawn mower is getting too loud.” All of these quotes have been said throughout history in the classroom—all but one.

Since the beginning of the school year, South teachers have had to add the last phrase to their repertoire. During the morning, classes are overcome by the loud and distracting lawn care that occurs on a regular basis.

Having a good looking lawn that is well maintained is very important. It gives the school a clean finish and makes it presentable for any passing eye. Upkeeping the school in a manner that brings pride to the community and creates a safe environment for students is vital to operating the school. However, the first priority should be uninterrupted education.

When this maintenance begins to interrupt and impede on the school day, it does not take long for students and faculty to become very frustrated very quickly. I have sat through many classes where there is a complete break in dialogue, lecturing and learning because the lawn maintenance has begun. This interference with the flow of the learning process can derail an entire class period.

The lawn maintenance crew is very diligent and dedicated to their job. They get right up to the building and sidewalks. This causes many issues, although it looks nice. The thing is, the closer they get to the building the louder it gets in the classes. As well, the closer they get to the sidewalk the more grass clippings are left on the concrete—a common place for people to sit at lunch.

When thinking about other public places that have lawn maintenance, there is clear planning around when it takes place. For example the public parks don’t mow the lawn on major holidays because they are busy and that would not be the most professional look.

I think the same principle should be implemented at school. There are two days a week where there is no class in session and at least 15 hours each day where there are no students in the building. Making a switch to any of these times feels like a simple solution that would prevent a truly frustrating issue.

I truly believe lawn should be cared for and that it helps the school look more presentable. However I think there should be a new process in place to reschedule the care to times or days when school is not in the midst of learning.