NOVI, Mich. (WXYZ) — It can be a part of going back to school that everyone dreads: pick-up and drop-off can be a nightmare, if done incorrectly. I spoke to a Mom, Dad, student and local school district to help you navigate it all.
Watch Ali Hoxie's full report below
“I think it is a hot mess most of the time," said parent Becky Krieger.
“So we have a little circle, it kind of gets crowded, I walk her into her classroom and walk her out, and hopefully my car is still there," said parent Drew Mayer.
I ran into a Mom and a Dad doing some Back-To-School shopping at Target. That's where I met Stafford Krieger, who is going into sixth grade,
“(My advice is) for the kids to be early, to have everything that you need," Stafford said. "Quick, focused, no dilly dallying."
Paying attention to these rules and the traffic laws is extremely important. For example, at Novi Meadows Schools, south of 11 Mile, parents are ignoring the sign states no left turn onto Taft Road.
“Traffic will get stopped right here because people want to turn left, and they don’t want to listen to the sign that we have right here saying no left turn," said Julie Warren, a School Resource Officer with Novi Police. "Traffic here on Taft Road gets very, very busy, and so when we have parents waiting to make that left-hand turn, it just gets backed up and it slows down the flow of traffic.”
I turned to Emily Ritz, the Dean of Students at Novi Meadows, to get the Do's and Don'ts of the drop-off and pick-up lines that apply to schools across the board.
“Let's start with the do," Ritz said. "The do, definitely follow the directives of the staff who are outside and on the sidewalk. Everybody, make sure they read the communication. Sometimes we change the process as the school year's going on when we learn that there's a better system to have. Another do is to have your kid ready to go. So we talk about queuing up, a water bottle, a hug, and a kiss, and get ready to move out as soon as you hit the spot where you can let your kid out of the car.”
So, what are some of the don'ts?
"Definitely do not come in speeding," Ritz continued. "We've got kids riding bikes in, we've got kids walking, sometimes it's dark in the mornings. Don't try to get out of line and find a new spot or find a parking spot that you think will work better. Don't be on your cell phone. Don't be on your phone. Save the email or the text message for later on, not on the road. Make sure that you're always focused on what's most important: students starting a successful day safely.”
And for the really little ones, make sure to keep an eye on them.
“Don’t let your kid get out of the car themselves cause there is always cars rolling around, so just be extra safe," Drew said.
The rules may vary depending on the school, so if you have any questions, reach out to someone within the school who can help.
