Detailed Traffic Plan

Parker Performing Arts School Detail Traffic Plan

Our school is like most charter schools in that drop off and pick up is part of the PPA culture. This means that we all work together to ensure that dropping students off in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon can be done quickly, easily, and most importantly we want safety for our kids. Please take some time to read the plan below, get familiar with the process, and make sure that you are ready to go for the first day of school.

Student safety comes FIRST! This means:

• SCHOOL PROPERTY IS A NO CELL PHONE ZONE.  This also includes ALL types of mobile electronic devices such as iPad, Kindle, etc.  Please don’t use any devices once you enter school property.

Some basic guidelines:

• Please relax, follow the plan, and everyone will benefit from the process.
• PLEASE be respectful. and courteous to volunteers, and fellow parents in carline.  Everyone will have an opportunity to participate in traffic duty at some point.
• Be patient – we are unloading/loading a large number of students and their belongings and instruments.
• NO PARKING in the school parking lot.
• ALL Cars must have a driver at all times.  Please DO NOT get out of your vehicle, volunteers will assist you.
• All vehicles must turn right into our school on the east side and turn right again out of the west side during drop off and pick off. Do not make left turns onto or off of school property. (see pictures)
• If you send someone unfamiliar with the process, make sure they are educated in advance.

• There are two traffic events each day:
  • Morning drop off
  • Afternoon pick up
• Families will be issued a number tag to identify their vehicle and notify students when you have arrived.  This tag needs to be clearly displayed on your dash when picking up or dropping off your student(s).  We use this number to display that your car is arriving on the screens in our classrooms, and that is when our children know to come our for pick up.
• Our loop allows for three lanes of initial stacking as you enter the school.  A traffic volunteer will be present to direct traffic at the narrowing of these three lanes.
• Do NOT queue on Compark Blvd at the entrance to the school – this will block traffic on Compark Blvd and police will ticket you.
  • If the wait line is full, proceed on Compark and drive around the loop.

Drop Off

• Families with middle school students (Red Tags) may begin drop off at 7:40 a.m.– NOT BEFORE. Families with elementary students (Green Tags) may begin drop off at 8:00 a.m. There is no supervision prior to 7:40 a.m. and cars are not allowed to obstruct traffic on major thoroughfares.
  • Families with both middle school and elementary students (Yellow Tags) may begin drop off at 7:40 a.m 
• School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. for middle school students.  School begins at 8:15 a.m. for elementary students. Students who are late will be marked as tardy.
• Students will proceed along the sidewalk into the school to their classrooms.
  • A kindergarten aide will be available to assist kindergartners.
  • Staff and volunteers will be present every step of the way to make sure students get to their correct classroom.
• Wait in the vehicle stack for a volunteer to direct you forward. DO NOT change lanes while in the stack.
• Each vehicle will have approximately 45 seconds to unload.  While you are waiting in the queue, please get students ready to exit vehicles in an efficient and timely manner.
• PPA staff and traffic volunteers will assist students as they exit their cars to ensure they are safely escorted into the school building.
• Once all vehicles are unloaded and students are away from the traffic lane, a traffic volunteer will direct all vehicles to exit the drop off zone. Wait for a volunteer to wave you forward. NEVER pull around another vehicle!

Pick Up

• Kindergarten student (Orange Tags) dismissal begins at 2:45 p.m. Cars may begin entering the lot at 2:40 p.m.
• Elementary student (Green Tags) dismissal begins at 3:15 p.m. If you are picking up a Middle school student (Red Tags), dismissal begins at 3:30 p.m.
• Families picking up ONLY Elementary school students (Green Tags) may enter the lot beginning at 3:00 p.m. Families picking up ONLY Middle school students (Red Tags) may enter the lot beginning at 3:27p.m.  Families picking up BOTH middle school and elementary students (Yellow Tags) may enter the lot beginning at 3:27 p.m.
• If you do not have the appropriate tag at pick up, you may not enter the lot.
• Please have color-coded number tags clearly displayed on your dashboard. Students will be dismissed from their classroom via their Family/Car number.
  • Students will see their name on the board in the classroom once their family’s ID is entered by a traffic volunteer.
  • Please ensure your student(s) learn your family/car number.
• When dismissed, students will need to leave the building and wait for their car in the loading zone.
• Parents/Guardians are NOT allowed to park their vehicles during dismissal.
• Early Appointment Pick-Up and parking must be done prior to 2:45 p.m.
  • Notify Front Office in advance and student will be called to the front.
• Any student not picked up by 4:00 p.m. is considered Late Pick-Up unless you have notified the Front Office of an unexpected delay or emergency.  Applicable fees may apply.  See Also: Spotlight Before & After Care
• Volunteer or Staff members will assist students in finding their car, opening doors, loading instruments (if needed), etc.
• DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR UNATTENDED.
• Once your car is loaded, PUT ON YOUR TURN SIGNAL to leave via the Exit lane, and you will be directed out by a volunteer or staff.
• If there is room to PULL FORWARD, please do so (ie. If the car in front of you leaves).  This allows the next car to pull into the loading zone.
• If you make it to the front of the line, and your student has not exited the building in a reasonable amount of time, you will need to exit and re-enter the ‘loop’ from Compark.

Volunteer Time

• Parent volunteers are key to ensuring that traffic flows smoothly and safely.
• Traffic duty volunteering opportunities are available morning and afternoon on every school day
• ALL families are asked to contribute to traffic duty – a quarterly volunteer list will be sent out on signup.com
  • Each family should be willing to serve at least one traffic duty (morning AND/OR afternoon) per quarter

Questions?

If your question isn’t answered there or you’d like to make a comment, please send an email to: [email protected]