Reckless Driving and Angry Staffers Result in Radical Change in Morning Drop Off Routine

“Students driving recklessly”(SRO)

Why did it change?

In the beginning of the 2021 school year, Waltham Highschool has had multiple car accidents involving students in the parking lot. The staff at Waltham High also needed an improvement in the efficiency of parking. These two factors have resulted in the change of the morning drop-off system, making parents dropping off their kids go around the back of the school instead of straight through the middle of the parking lot.  

Will it change again? As of right now, the drop off is still in a trial period so the answer is maybe. Solutions cause their own problems almost all of the time and this is the case here. Different proposals for improved routines have been presented to the administration however as it stands, this new drop off plan will remain the basis of the routine with only minor changes being made. 

• What about after school? Due to concerns from the Waltham Fire Department about too many vehicles parked in the fire lane, the departure plan for Waltham high is “not going to change in the foreseeable future” (SRO) as it was recently changed in order to fix this fire lane problem. 

Opinions from staff about the change: In general, staff have been happy with the changes in the drop off, though it is not without criticism. Teachers have said that the change has improved student safety and that their commute has improved. That being said, there is a correlation between the happiness of the staff and their location of their class in the school. Teachers in the front are generally happy, but as you move back the happiness decreases. For teachers who park in the back, their entry is blocked by the line of parents dropping off their kids. With all that being said, of the teachers polled, more were happy then not so the change has had a positive effect on the staff, a main goal when changing the parking in the first place. Even though there is still some negativity, most teachers can see the positives in the change and remain optimistic. They know that this is just the beginning and feel like the system will continue improving as time moves on. 

Additional info: There has been a lot of general negativity around this change of policy as commuters have seen an uptick in traffic, however, it must be noted that factors like traffic due to construction on lexington street and weather all add to the strain put on this new system. 

If you are having problem getting to class before 7:30 after this new change consider the following:

1. “busses still will have priority” (sro) If you can take the bus, then you are guaranteed to get to school on time and any tardy will be excused.
2. Try to get to school earlier. The majority of the traffic starts around 7:15 so if you beat that time you will have little to no problems getting to class.
3. If you find yourself in bed at 7:20, know that after the last bus drops off (around 7:25) you can drop off in the front lot like last year.