From the beginning of our planning process in 2013, the BOE members, school personnel, students and community members agreed that improving the safety of our parking lot for our students and community members is our #1 priority. We spent a considerable amount of time evaluating how to gain more space, including a removal of the bus garage and reconstruction of outside parking of buses off the campus.
Ultimately the BOE responded to the concerns of the bus drivers and to their own concerns about tearing down a building that we have, determining to leave the bus garage intact. That left us with the task of determining how to improve safety with a clearly delineated parking lot plan and at the same time, a much needed increase in parking, considering our limited space.
What does this new parking lot design provide us that we don’t have now?
- Two way traffic in and out of our campus on what is currently a one way entrance and a one way exit drive. This plan allows for greater access in and out in the event of an emergency and it also provides multiple parent drop off spots so that all traffic is not moving through one exit point at the same time that our buses are unloading/loading and our students are moving across our campus.
- Separate bus lane areas.
- Additional parking of 42 new spots.
- Extended parent drop off/pick up lane. Three designated parent drop off options.
- Raised crosswalk with gate control between our two buildings.
- Expanded parking areas at the elementary and tennis courts.
- Safer curbing and distances between parked vehicles and the main entrance to the high school building.
- Daytime visitor parking along the entire west side of the bus garage with all outside transportation vehicles parked off of the campus. This was the concession to keeping inside parking of our buses that we then have at least the space up to the building for the improved safety and parking.
- Clear safe crosswalks through our parking lot to our multi-purpose field, athletic stadium.
