The start of school has brought speed bumps, designated drop-off zones, and a new crosswalk to the drop-off area on Miller Ave.

According to Assistant Principal Wendy Stratton, the school had been hoping to improve the drop-off zone for quite some time. “I think when people are dropping students off in the morning and are trying to get out of the loop, they aren’t necessarily thinking of the 20 cars behind them,” Stratton said. “So I see people looking at me and appearing to be frustrated when I ask them to pull all the way up because I’m worried about the cars backing up into Miller Avenue and blocking traffic.”

The added crosswalk encourages students exiting cars in the left lane of the loop to cross over to the curb safely, while the speed bumps slow down cars and reduce the risk of accidents due to speeding. Students are only permitted to exit their cars in the designated zone, so they are not scattered about the loop and crossing directly in front of cars.

“I think that the new rules and additions are necessary to control the semi-chaotic mad rush to drop off [and pick up] students,” sophomore Gabe Tolson said. “The rules aren’t hugely disruptive or deserving of modification in my opinion.”

Other students have found that the new process has become inconvenient and unpleasant for themselves as well as drivers. “The speed bumps are extremely high,” sophomore Kimi Wu said. “I dislike them very much, especially when I’m trying to get my stuff together and it’s just discombobulating to be thrown around like that.”

While the rules may seem frustrating to some, the administration feels that they are worth the inconvenience. “From what I’ve seen there’s a lot more safety and awareness in the drop-off/pick-up loop,” Stratton said. “I want to seek more feedback from students and drivers to see what changes they suggest that I may consider.”