CCPS crosswalk
The dreaded school car line. Based on the gripes I have heard from both parents on social media and from school staff, it is something that drives a lot of people crazy. So, I decided I would investigate the matter myself to see if it really is as chaotic as some people describe – and to gather any tips from both school staff and parents to make the process a little less stressful.
It is important to note that almost every school has a different system for their car line. School staff members are always looking for ways to streamline the process, but also keep it as safe as possible.
“The biggest safety mistakes I see are people who don’t obey the crosswalk and drivers who don’t slow down,” explains Melissa Kettler, a parent of two students at Laurel Oak Elementary (LOE). Kettler tells me she also has a son in middle school and has been doing the car line for many years. She calls the car line at LOE “a smooth one.” Kettler was also one of the first cars in line on the day I visited, which brings me to my next piece of advice – arriving early. At all of the schools I visited, I noticed cars started to line up at least an hour before dismissal. “You have to, otherwise you will be waiting a long time,” explains Blaine Johnathan, one of the first few parents in the pick-up line at VME. Arriving early does seem to help speed up the process. The kids appear to be paying attention better at the beginning of dismissal. Near the end of dismissal, I witnessed a lot of kids just chatting away with their friends while their name blasted out of the loudspeaker several times.
Speaking of paying attention, I did see a lot of parents on their phones in the car line. I will admit that I am someone who loves to multitask, but based on what I saw in my research, the car line is really not the place to do more than one thing at a time.
Finally, let’s talk numbers. “We’ve added four more loading stations and more staff to help deal with the increase,” explains Barb DePouw, Assistant Principal at VME. Staff members at both VME and LOE tell me they have seen an increase in car riders this year. “This is probably the longest car line we’ve ever had,” explains Christina Anderson, Assistant Principal at LOE. Anderson noted an increase in enrollment for LOE this year, especially in Kindergarten, but she is hopeful that relief from the lengthy car line is around the corner. “It gets better, usually by December everyone gets the routine down.”