Albion student asks district to allow day to drive tractors to school

ALBION – The Albion Board of Education has been asked to have a designated day in the school year when students can drive a tractor to school.

Samantha Basinait, a junior and member of the FFA, made the request during Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting.

She said other nearby schools, including Elba and Attica, have a day where students with farm backgrounds can drive to school on a tractor.

Basinait suggested the students be allowed to do it during FFA Week, which was just celebrated at Albion from May 2-6.

“It would raise awareness for how important agriculture is to our community,” Basinait told the Board of Education.

The students wouldn’t bring the tractors down Route 31. Instead they would bring them down Clarendon Road and enter the school campus from the side parking lot by the elementary school, Basinait said.

The students would bring their tractors well before the start of the school day to avoid the bulk of the traffic at school, and leave later in the afternoon after the buses are gone.

She was joined by her mother Dawn Basinait., who went over the rules for the Attica tractor day. Students aren’t allowed to have passengers and can’t be towing anything. No garden tractor are allowed at Attica’s tractor day.

Mrs. Basinait said the students who would be driving the tractors have been using farm equipment for years and are very responsible.

Kathy Harling, the Board president, said the board doesn’t respond to requests on the spot, but it will be considered.