Johnson Elementary Announces Traffic Plan

Johnson Elementary officials have announced a traffic flow plan for the start of the 2011-2012 school year. Principal Lori Allison said the parent pick-up and drop-off patterns will mirror the plan that parents used at the end of school in May.

Construction work on the JES will not be entirely complete for the start of the school year, but parents will be able to use the three-lane driveway that was constructed on the south side of the campus last spring. All parents will enter the site from North Carroll Avenue. Those coming from the north will turn left into the far left lane and will continue around the loop to drop off or pick up their child. Parents entering from the south will turn right into the far right lane and continue around the loop to drop off or pick up their child.

The third lane will remain vacant to help ensure safe passage for students. Parents are asked to pull forward all the way to the front of the loop to help ensure smooth traffic flow and student safety. JES staff members will be present to assist parent drivers during pick-up and drop-off times.

Buses will utilize the bus loop at the north end of the building to drop off and pick up students. During bus loading times, Johnson closes the temporary visitor parking lot to help ensure the safe loading and unloading of students. Visitors to the JES campus throughout the day will be able to park in the visitor parking lot at the north end of the building and access a sidewalk heading south to the main entrance of the campus. Last spring the district opened up a visitor’s entrance at the far north end of the building by the gym. School officials say this entrance will no longer be accessible to campus visitors. Instead, the contractor provided a sidewalk to the front entrance.

As part of the 2009 School Bond Program, the Johnson campus will receive an expanded library, a security entrance and a new foyer/office area. The work is scheduled to be completed shortly after the start of school. Last spring, the front drive of the campus was closed to parent and staff traffic so the work could begin. Parents were rerouted to the new loop on the south side of campus with just a few weeks of school left. The transition went smoothly according to campus leaders.

“We all understand these temporary inconveniences are necessary so that we can complete the work that our local bond voters approved in May of 2009,” Allison said. “We are excited about our expanded library and about the look our campus will have this fall. We appreciate everyone’s understanding as we work together to improve our facilities.”

Johnson is expected to have 528 students this fall, down significantly from last year due the rezoning that occurred for the opening of Walnut Grove Elementary School.

Click here to access a copy of the JES Traffic Plan.