School Parking Lot Safety
Student safety is always a concern for school staff, but keeping children safe in the parking lot
requires the cooperation of everyone – from school staff to parents and the children themselves. The school parking lot can be a very chaotic place, therefore a few safety tips should be observe during arrival and dismissal:
- Obey the speed limit and traffic rules, i.e. park only in designed sections
- Obey the school’s drop-off and pick up rules
- Be courteous to other drivers
- Remind students to look both ways in the parking lot
- Children should not run or play in the parking lot
- Parents should respect school staff who enforce traffic rules
Do not park illegally- nothing can cause a traffic jam or a dangerous situation easier than an inconsiderate driver who blocks a passing lane, parks in front of the fire lane, or parks in a handicapped space. WVA does not want to ticket parents who park illegally, but we will have your car cited or in extreme cases towed away.
Failure to adhere to parking lot procedure may result in discontinued enrollment and/or contact with local police dept. Safety for our students is paramount.
During the morning arrival period, drivers should enter the main driveway and either park and walk their children in to the school, or follow the flow of traffic around to the curbside drop-off along the sidewalk. After dropping off students, drivers should follow the flow of traffic around the curb and out to the exit. Drivers that park and walk in should cross at the main crosswalks.
In order to accommodate the maximum number of vehicles on site at one time during the afternoon dismissal, specific dismissal procedures need to be in place.
Drivers should always pull as far forward as possible in their row in order to fit as many vehicles on site as possible and load quickly in order to speed the process up. Parents must follow the staff and/or volunteers directing traffic during student pick-up. No one may park or sit out in the road for any reason. No one should park or drive across landscaped areas.
If the drivers need to speak with teachers or staff, parking in the designated visitor areas of the lot is required. The closest parking spaces in front of the school have been designated as handicap parking. When entering or leaving the school, children will not be allowed to walk in the parking lot unless accompanied by an adult or crossing guard.
