Prepare to be a-MAZE-d

With the hopes of increasing safety for everyone, Newcastle Elementary School has again adjusted the drop-off/pickup routine for the 2022-23 school year. To avoid one long pickup line of vehicles, parents are being asked to remain in their cars as the line moves forward through a maze-like path through the parking lot as kids are picked up.
As previously reported in the Dec. 8 story “District looks at NES safety issues,” the headaches with pickup and drop-off at the school began with the COVID-19 pandemic and the request to keep parents in their cars to avoid gatherings. 
Since the pandemic began, the school has not allowed parents inside the building to pick up children and has since encouraged parents to remain in their cars in the pickup line to avoid children leaving with the wrong person, as well as avoiding the spread of illness. 
The pickup line, however, has left cars queued on the highway waiting to move through the line. This in turn has created concerns about potential accidents due to line-of-sight issues as cars enter the highway and about children negotiating crowded parking lots as cars and parents maneuver the pick-up process. 
School officials have met with the Wyoming Department of Transportation to discuss the concerns and potential solutions. 
According to Superintendent Brad LaCroix, Weston County School District No. 1 had proposed a change to the speed limit on that portion of
the highway and/or the addition of another lane to help with visibility issues. Neither of these proposals have come to fruition. 
“So the recommendation was to create this maze. By creating this maze, we hope we take all of the traffic out of the highway line of sight,” LaCroix said. 
He noted that this also gives the school the ability to make sure that every student is leaving with the appropriate adult. 
“With the large number of students we have getting picked up, it is a challenge to monitor that each student is going with an approved adult. Not only do we want to be able to better monitor for possible threats, we also have several custodial situations we have to support,” Principal Brandy Holmes said. “In large groups, it is difficult to see where each student goes. This way we have at least one staff member who can say this student went with this adult.” 
She noted that this year there will not be a spot to pick up children outside of the car. 
“Parents need to stay in vehicles. This will help the process move more efficiently and safely,” Holmes said. 
It is important, she added, for everyone to be patient and follow the procedure, especially in the beginning. If everyone works together, Holmes said, the pickup process will work smoothly with some time. 
“We are asking everyone to stay in line, drop off and pick up their kids, drive slowly and know that there will be incoming traffic coming at a quick pace,” LaCroix said. “We are asking people to keep a copy of the plan in the car, and give a copy to grandparents and aunts and uncles. That way grandma knows the routine and it works for the kids. The No.  1 priority is the kids being safe. And we hope the adults and staff are safe as well.”