Starting Monday, parents who take their children to school at Adams Elementary School will be asked to begin a new drop-off and pick-up routine to help improve student safety outside the building.

In order to create a safer environment for Adams students both before and after school, the Adams Child Safety Committee was formed to evaluate the current situation, collect data regarding transportation to and from school, and to devise a plan for the safe drop-off and pick-up of children each day.

Adams Principal Janet Bentley said the committee’s goal is that no vehicle will be dropping off or picking up any student anywhere other than in the circle drive on the north side of Adams at 11th and Cypress Streets.

She said the reason for the new drop-off and pick-up procedures is to make the process safer for students. Bentley said parents regularly stop and drop their children off in the middle of 10th Street in front of Adams School.

“I don’t know how we’ve kept a child from being hurt badly while being dropped off at school or picked up after school,” Bentley said. “It concerns me so much. I’ve seen so many near misses.”

She said parents also pull in behind vehicles to drop-off their children and the drivers of other cars can’t see the parents parked behind them. Parents of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students often pull behind vehicles parked in the angled spaces at the south entrance of the building.

“One parent will be running in the building to drop off their child and another parent parked in a one of the angled parking spaces gets trapped until the other parent returns to their vehicle parked in the street,” Bentley said. “Tempers are flaring.”

Bentley said the new procedures will make it safer for students whose parents pick them up and for students riding the bus. Bus riders and walkers will continue to use the front entrance on 10th Street to enter and exit the building. But no parents should drop off children on 10th Street.

A plan has been created and will be implemented Monday, Nov. 7. The plan is as follows:

The east doors on 10th Street will be entrance for walkers and bus riders only. It will be unlocked by 7:35 a.m. daily.

The south door (by the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms) will be an employee only entrance. This door will remain locked during the day.

All students being transported to school by personal vehicle are to be dropped off and picked up in the circle drive on the north side of the school.

A nameplate with each student’s name was sent home with students Nov. 1 and 3. The nameplates go on the passenger’s side visor in the parent’s vehicle, with the name(s) showing when the visor is down. If parents need additional plates they may call the school at 441-2040.

Parents or daycare providers should lower the visor when pulling into the circle drive. At least two staff members will be at the circle drive and will call for the child whose name is on the visor to be sent out and loaded into the vehicle.

Parents should remain in their vehicles at all times while picking up and dropping off their students. If parents need to enter the school, they should park their vehicle elsewhere and enter through the east doors by the main office.

When drivers enter the circle, they are to stay to the right to wait while their child is being loaded. The left lane is to remain a moving lane at all times.

The employee parking lot on the northeast side of the school can be entered only from 10th Street. All traffic must exit out the west side of the lot and out onto Cypress Street through the circle drive. Signs have been placed to help with traffic flow.

Bentley said the committee members will stand outside to help with the loading and unloading the first week. After that time, at least two staff members will be outside every day before and after school.

“ We are creating small cards to remind parents” who do not follow the new procedures, Bentley said.

She doesn’t believe the new procedures will be problematic for parents once they get used to it and understand the reason is to make their children safer. Bentley also said the new procedure should make it quicker for parents to drop-off and pick-up their children from school.

“Again, we thank parents for their cooperation in helping keep our students in a safer environment,” Bentley said.

Safety Committee members are Eric Burr, police officer and parent; Sheryl Steele, Title I aide; Jessie Bradley, Native American tutor; Jerry Smith, counselor; Catherine Barnes, building aide; Barb Scram, kindergarten teacher; Rosann Meier, first grade teacher; Paul Shimon, physical education teacher; Darin Mann, fourth grade teacher; and Bentley.

She encouraged parents to call the school at 441-2040 if they have questions or concerns about the new procedures.