some public schools used as polling sites in the u.s. are letting students stay home on election day because of safety concerns in one of the most-contentious campaign seasons. <u+201c>this is the first time we<u+2019>ve ever closed schools on election day,<u+201d> said nathanael shelton, spokesman for johnston county schools in north carolina, where students at two school polling sites will stay home. <u+201c>it<u+2019>s a lot of people on campus that day due to the expected turnout. it<u+2019>s a logistical issue.<u+201d> schools historically have served as polling sites because of their accessibility and parking availability. but some school administrators in a number of states, including the battlegrounds of north carolina, ohio and pennsylvania, have made tuesday a student holiday, worrying heightened political tension might draw larger-than-usual and unruly crowds to the schools. districts in new jersey, texas and massachusetts, among others, have also canceled classes. <u+201c>there<u+2019>s fights, there<u+2019>s arguments, there<u+2019>s a lot of threats and tension with this upcoming election,<u+201d> said sara andriotis, a parent who was among those who successfully lobbied school officials in easton, pa., to cancel tuesday<u+2019>s classes. <u+201c>it<u+2019>s a more hyped-up and stressed-out election. we don<u+2019>t want to see our children looking out the window and seeing people arguing in the parking lot.<u+201d> more voters and election monitors<u+2014>official and unofficial<u+2014>are expected to show up at polling sites on election day than in the past, with republicans and democrats voicing concern about possible voter suppression and worries over election integrity. gop presidential nominee donald trump has charged the vote will be rigged, with rampant fraud, though he hasn<u+2019>t provided evidence. in montclair, n.j., the school board voted to cancel classes in public schools on election day, after some parents voiced concern about safety. the school district in lorain, ohio, also canceled classes because of heightened interest that could drive a bigger voter turnout on election day, amid a tense atmosphere. some parents fear self-appointed poll watchers looking out for voting irregularities or voter intimidation at polling sites could cause problems and disrupt the school environment. such concern has lead to some calls for halting the practice of voting in schools. in the easton school district in pennsylvania, superintendent john reinhart is now questioning whether schools should be polling sites. <u+201c>sadly, given the emotionally charged and heated atmosphere surrounding both the current presidential election campaigns and the state of american politics, in general, we should all reconsider whether our schools are the best places for casting ballots in future elections,<u+201d> mr. reinhart said in an editorial last month in the morning call newspaper. <u+2018> it<u+2019>s a more hyped-up and stressed-out election. we don<u+2019>t want to see our children looking out the window and seeing people arguing in the parking lot. <u+2019> still, some school officials hold firm to keeping schools as polling sites, saying the experience is educational for students. thomas hylton, a school board member in pottstown, pa., has been critical of easton<u+2019>s decision to cancel classes. he said it was an overreaction and that polling sites in schools provide students with a lesson in democracy. <u+201c>i don<u+2019>t think there are going to be big crowds that in anyway are going to be threatening to children,<u+201d> he said. <u+201c>it<u+2019>s an unnecessary fear.<u+201d> bruce sherbet, the elections administrator in collin county, texas, said schools have been ideal polling locations because they are typically in areas that are accessible and familiar to people. he said they also have plenty of parking. he added that in some locations, a school is the only option. kenneth trump, who says he isn<u+2019>t related to namesake gop candidate donald, is a national school safety expert and says safety concerns have caused some schools to have staff-only days on election day. but for those that don<u+2019>t close, he recommended using measures such as restricting voting to one area of the school and having an increased presence of security staff. mr. trump, who is president of national school safety and security services, said he has recommended for years that districts keep polling out of schools. <u+201c>we put all this effort, time and money in every day to keep strangers out of schools, and then one or two days a year, we open them up to any and every one,<u+201d> he said. <u+201c>it makes no sense.<u+201d> write to tawnell d. hobbs at tawnell.hobbs@wsj.com
some schools, wary of voting disturbances, cancel classes - wsj
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