Clarke Central High School parents pick up their students in the afternoon with the help of security guards. Construction has forced them to pick up students in a different way. “So now parents will come in off of milledge and loop around and go back out of Milledge which it used to be the bus lane, but now we’ve had to change that around,” CCHS principal Robbie P. Hooker said. Photo by Jurnee Louder
By JURNEE LOUDER – Junior Digital Copy Editor
Due to construction, students will now be picked up and dropped off in a different fashion.
In mid-April, Clarke Central High School parents and buses were forced to change their normal drop-off and pick-up routines. To avoid interfering with construction, students now have to be picked up and dropped off in a different area.
“Our parent pick up had to change due to construction. (The construction workers) are digging, putting pipes in, and it interferes with the normal flow of parent pick-up, so now parents will come in off of milledge and loop around and go back out of Milledge which it used to be the bus lane, school Principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker said.
Since parents now pick up students in what used to be the bus lane, buses have to get bus riders in a different spot too. Plus, Hooker says this new route will help organize the usual end of the day cluster.
“All the buses will come in off of Baxter and exit on Baxter. That’s going to help the traffic flow somewhat on milledge because when the buses are coming in off of Milledge, it sometimes causes back up on Milledge late in the afternoon. So now, everything is coming in off of Baxter,” Hooker said.
Some faculty members and students are a little worried about this new system. Science department teacher Valinda Miller is a little nervous about the buses being so close to her car near the teacher parking lot.
“I don’t like the fact that buses are lining up in the teacher parking lot, but I see that there is no other way for them to transport the kids in and out. I know a lot of teachers have decided to park in the student parking lot because they don’t feel comfortable with those buses being so close to their vehicles,” Miller said. “(The school) suggested that we park in the student parking lot, although I don’t really feel comfortable parking in the student parking lot because a lot of students don’t drive very well.”
Freshman Leah Orlando, who gets picked up in the car rider line, agrees with Miller.
“I think that it’s not as efficient as the old way because only a few cars can (pick up students at once), and then you have to make that sharp u-turn, and you can’t make a left turn,” Orlando said.
Hooker says that the pick up and drop off change has to remain this way for safety reasons. He also feels that the school is doing its best to execute this as flawlessly as possible.
“Due to construction, there is nothing we can do about it at this point. We’ve had support of not-only our security people helping out with the traffic flow for parent pick-up, but the transportation department director and our other support team with the buses in the afternoon and in the morning. So, that has really helped out,” Hooker said.
Whether the new parking lot changes are liked or not, Hooker says that it won’t go back to its normal state anytime soon.
“This will be for the remainder of the school and probably going into next school year as well,” Hooker said.
