Drop off and Pick up

Carline will begin shortly before the doors open each day (8:20) but not before that time. Please do not park or wait in the carline prior to that time. Our before school care also uses this carline for arrival and dismissal and we need to keep this area clear for these parents.

The entrance to the parking lot has two lanes. One (the right) turns directly into the parking lot, while the other (the left) takes you down to the car line. Please be mindful not to block the right lane while entering the parking lot. This can sometimes cause an unnecessary back up onto New Independence Parkway.

Please stay in your car if you are using the carline. If you need to assist your child in any way to exit or enter the car (car seat straps or seat belts) please opt to park and walk with your child instead of using the car line.

Do not use your cellphone while in the carline. This should go without saying, but it is VERY dangerous to have distracted drivers on campus while so many children are entering and exiting the building.

In order to use the carline for pick up you MUST have a car tag. This is nonnegotiable and any parent who does not have a car tag will be asked to park, go to the office, show identification, and pick up a new car tag. While this may be inconvenient it is with the safety of your child in mind.

In the afternoon, carline moves relatively quickly. It is routinely emptied by 3:15.

Please be patient, especially the first few days. Everyone is trying to accomplish the same thing at the same time. The ultimate goal is to dismiss 900+ students within a fifteen minute time period safely and orderly. We are all on the same team. Please be kind and patient in your interactions with other parents, and especially our staff. They are working hard to ensure your child is safe.

Now for the carline protocols.

Do NOT, under any circumstances, drive around the cones in the parking lot. It doesn't matter if you're running late or there's nobody coming in the other direction at that moment...the cones are there to protect everyone and to maintain an orderly flow of traffic.

At the first set of cones, please make a right hand turn into the parking lot. This will loop you through several rows before entering the official carline (maroon and blue lines/arrows in the image). As previously mentioned we have over 900 students enrolled right now. The carline is extended to accommodate those numbers. Ignoring this flow of traffic creates a traffic jam for the cars entering the lot behind you. Don't drive around the cones.

Once you get to the last lane of the parking lot you will see that there are TWO lanes available for cars. In the afternoons cars can double stack in these lanes. Double stacking the cars allows us to eliminate the overflow traffic that can back up onto New Independence Parkway.

Once you make it around the last turn of the carline (second star in the image) cars will merge to again make one single line. Please be respectful here. Think of this like a zipper. One car from the left, one car from the right. You are not going to gain more than 30 seconds by not allowing the car next to you to merge in. Don't be that guy. Let your neighbor in. Smile. Wave. Say hello. Be kind.

As you approach the pavilion, a staff member will read the car tag. (This is why your car tag is SO important!). Student numbers are then entered into a google doc that is on display in each classroom. Students are dismissed once they are called and they make their way to the pavilion (that's where the students will load).

As you make your way carefully around the last few turns (being mindful of the stop signs!) you will arrive at the PE Pavilion, where your child(ren) will greet you with the biggest smile because they are so happy to see you after a long day of academics and socialization!

There will be staff members on hand to open doors and help students into the cars, but please stay in your vehicle (see note above about other options if your child needs assistance). Please do not try to rush past one car in front of you to exit the parking lot more quickly. Be patient. Be kind. Be understanding. The carline is not the Daytona 500. You are still in a school zone and we are trying to keep these babies safe!

 **Important note: ** If you choose to park in the parking lot and walk your child to the doors in the morning, please follow the path marked in green and do not cross through the carline. This tiny extra walk helps keep all of our Eagle families safer.

Please review  the following traffic safety rules that are in place to help keep our students safe and prevent accidents:

1. Do not stop in the middle of New Independence Parkway (NIP) to drop off or pick up your students.

2. Do not make a U-turn along NIP. There is a double yellow line there, meaning it is illegal.

3. Do not make a U-turn or attempt to park in the entrance to the bus loop. Not only does this make it more dangerous for pedestrians using the crosswalk, but it makes it difficult for buses and after-school program transportation vehicles to drive through.

4. Do not drive into the accessible parking spaces in the parking lot to drop off or pick up students.

We know no one likes sitting in traffic, and many of us have tight schedules, but these rules exist for a the safety of our kids, which should be the top priority for all of us.

If you have any questions about where you can park, how carline works, where to get a car tag. or anything else about how to drive and navigate the pick-up and drop-off experience legally and safely, please reach out! We are happy to help without judgement.

Thanks for reading!