DROP OFF & PICKUP PROCEDURES
Hello Oak Park families!
We’re a few weeks into a fabulous school year, and our arrival and dismissal routines are really starting to find their groove! With a whole lot of students moving in several different directions each morning/afternoon, we wanted to share a few updates plus a couple of ways you can help us keep things running safely and smoothly.
Morning Arrival
The OSPD has asked us to ensure that the car rider lane in the far west of the school (along the fenceline) stays double stacked with cars so that we can load up the campus with cars (rather than Govt St).
Afternoon Dismissal Timeline
- 2:50 PM – Dismissal begins
- ~ 2:53 PM – Buses and car riders begin rolling out
- ~ 3:00 PM – Walkers are dismissed
- ~ 3:10 PM – Late buses: Bus 40, Parks & Rec, and YMCA typically roll out
- ~ 3:15 PM - Car riders wrap up
That means we’re moving a LOT of students (667 to be exact) in about 25 minutes and our staff works hard to make sure every child gets exactly where he or she is supposed to go!
Help Us Cut Down on Transportation Changes
Our office and teachers are currently receiving over a multitude of transportation changes each day, and keeping up with that many last-minute changes can get tricky. Whenever possible, please choose a consistent way for your child to go home each day and stick with it. We absolutely understand that occasional changes are necessary! When you do need to make a change, please contact BOTH the school office and your child’s teacher by 1:00 PM. This gives us time to communicate the change and make sure everyone is on the same page before dismissal begins.
Walkers
When possible, please utilize the car rider line rather than parking off campus and walking up (plus you get to be in your car's A/C!). Our crossing guards and law enforcement must stop traffic on Government Street to allow walkers to cross safely. As the number of walkers has increased, this has created additional traffic backups on Government Street and can actually slow down the overall arrival/dismissal process.
Thank you for your patience, flexibility, and help as we continue fine-tuning our routines. Getting hundreds of students to the right cars, buses, vans, and walking groups every afternoon is quite the operation, but we’re getting pretty good at it!
As always, safety comes first, and your help makes a huge difference.
Thank you for being such great partners with us!
Stewart