Safety and efficiency led to alterations to Gilmer High’s traffic patterns for the new school year.
GHS unveiled its revamped traffic diagrams last week, and the main changes are where buses and parents drop-off and pickup students.
Buses will enter the campus on Bobcat Trail via South Main Street and load and unload students at the awnings between the school and tennis courts. Parents who take their children to school or pick them up are permitted to enter the campus on Bobcat Trail accessed by Legion Road. Student drop-off and pickup is on the opposite end of the school next to the band practice field.
GHS principal Derek Bowen explained the reasoning for the changes, saying, “Last year the students were dropped off and got out on the wrong side of the car. The way cars were dropping kids off, students had to get out of the right side of the vehicle and either walk behind or in front of the car to get to the school. Now they can step out of the car on the correct side and be on the curb and out of the flow of traffic.
“Last year, the buses did the same thing. Buses let out on the right side, and students had to walk in front of the bus to get into the school. So we merely flipped where they drop-off and pickup.”
GHS and Clear Creek Middle School students ride buses together. Bowen noted that CCMS extended its day by 10 minutes. In turn, GHS adjusted its schedule to start first period 20 minutes earlier than last year. The adjustment means all GHS students who ride the bus will depart from campus at the same time. Last year, there were two separate bells that dismissed students.
After buses depart the campus, parents will be permitted to drive around the school to pick up their children.
“All buses will roll at the same time,” assistant superintendent Dana Berry said. “Before, we did half of the students while the other half just kind of hung out. We had to supervise and pay people to supervise. So there is a limited cost savings involved, but the big thing is being able to get all students off and away so we don’t have those after-school problems that can brew.
“One of the worst possible cases we can have is parents’ cars and buses mixing. Now, that doesn’t happen. As parents come and the buses are loading, all parents will be held until buses are cleared.”
There is no change to the route for student drivers, and they will continue to enter and exit the campus on Legion Road.