Traffic, Schedule Reminders for the New School Year

With some 13,000 students starting classes Wednesday in the , officials have issued a reminder about changes this school year.

Due to the budget cuts, all school bus transportation has been eliminated, which officials say will cause heavier morning and afternoon traffic around schools. The school district issued a newsletter Tuesday advising parents to allow extra time when picking up and dropping off children, and to be wary of their actions.

For general safety, the district provided a list of do’s and don’ts to observe when picking up and dropping off children:

• DO follow your school’s guidelines for drop-off and pick-up zones
• DON’T drop your children off in the middle of the street.
• DO insist that your children use crosswalks
• DON’T park in a crosswalk
• DO make sure your children are careful when they open the car door
• DON’T double-park, block traffic or wait in a bus zone or red zone.
• DO make sure your children exit and enter through the curbside door of your vehicle
• DON’T pass a vehicle that is stopped to allow pedestrians to cross
• DO learn the traffic patterns around your child’s school.
• DON’T rely on the excuse, “I’ll just be here in a minute.” Your car still is creating congestion, and may even be causing a danger.

For parents looking to set up carpools, each New Haven school is registered on carpool website 511 SchoolPool. Though not officially associated with the district, the website contains a database of local parents and matches them with others who make similar school trips. Register online at www.schoolpool.511.org, then select “New Haven Unified School District” and your child’s school for a list of other parents.

Parents and students should also take note of the new bell schedule for the year.

• Students at James Logan High School Logan will begin school at 8:15 a.m. (25 minutes earlier than in the past) and will be dismissed at 3:20 p.m. (10 minutes earlier), except on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays, the school day will be from 8:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., providing time for teacher collaboration and staff development.

• In order to accommodate the transportation and travel time needs of Logan families who also have younger students, Alvarado and Cesar Chavez middle schools have adjusted their bell schedules by 10 minutes, starting at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 2:45 p.m.

• Elementary schools will continue to start at 8 a.m. and be dismissed at 2:05 p.m.

• Conley-Caraballo High School classes are from 8:07 a.m. to 12:36 p.m. except on Wednesdays, when school will be dismissed at 11:46 am.