HOPE — Hope Elementary School parents might have noticed a change in the usual route to pick up their child from school.
This year, principal Jessica Poe said Hope Elementary has more than 100 car riders, dozens more than in the past due to an increase in students who commute from outside the district. This leaves five to six cars waiting at a time on State Road 9 in front of the school.
Poe said she and school resource officer Deputy Jessica Pendleton noticed the increase in numbers and the safety threat posed by the wait on State Road 9 and decided on the third day of school to change the pick-up procedure.
“State Road 9, as we know, people travel pretty quickly down that road,” Poe said. “The speed limit changes but the speed unfortunately doesn’t change much. We don’t want anyone in a situation where they are unsafe. By looping around the north parking lot, no one should be on (State Road) 9.”
Now, when a driver enters the school’s north entrance, the driver is rerouted to the north parking lot where they’ll line up around the perimeter of the parking lot until they reach the pick-up doors.
Kindergarten students and their siblings are now picked up at Door 40. Parents of kindergarten students must stay in line and pass the first door where students in grades 1-6 are picked up and proceed to Door 40.
Poe said this new procedure speeds up the process and allows staff to keep a better eye on kindergarten students.
Pick-up is 2:55 p.m. On Aug. 9, the fourth day of school, students were in their cars by 3:05 p.m. If the procedure is followed correctly, Poe said all cars can get through the line in 10 minutes.
Car rider students and their parents or guardians are issued a number at the beginning of the year. The driver must have a school-issued tag matching the student’s number in order to ensure all students are leaving with their parent or guardian.
This year, Poe said more than 100 car rider tags were issued to students.
“These are all preventative measures,” Poe said. “The key is communicating and being patient and helping parents understand why we’re doing this.”
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When a driver enters the north entrance of Hope Elementary School, they must turn left into the north parking lot and line the perimeter of the lot. The line will follow the perimeter of the lot and be directed to the back of the school where the pick-up doors are located.
Parents of kindergarten students must stay in the line, pass the front door and proceed to Door 40 to pick up their child. Siblings of kindergarten students must also be picked up at Door 40. Students in grades 1-6 will be picked up at the door prior to Door 40.
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