Marietta’s new junior high/high school building is progressing, with construction fencing up and a groundbreaking in the works. While these things are a welcome sight to school employees, parents, and students, the construction will impact parking, drop off/pick up processes, and traffic patterns for the upcoming school year.
While the elementary drop off/pick up process for parents will remain the same, there may be some added congestion in the area, since more people will be using the primary/elementary lot inside Vestal Bennett Loop for parking.
Gilliam Street running east and west to the south of the Middle and Elementary Schools will once again be open only to one way traffic headed west from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Primary and elementary parents should approach Gilliam either from Fourth Street or from Mayall Street. Once headed west on Gilliam, parents should enter Vestal Bennett Loop at the first turn and use the loop to drop off and pick up their students.
Middle school parents should enter Gilliam Street in the same manner, but drop off their students in front of the middle school, which faces Gilliam Street. Pick up will work the same way. If parents of middle school students are also dropping off/picking up elementary students, too, they should enter Vestal Bennett Loop. Otherwise, they should stay on Gilliam Street.
The parking lot west of the middle school and south of the gymnasium will be closed this year as part of the construction area, so middle school teachers will park in the primary/elementary lot inside Vestal Bennett Loop.
Most primary/elementary teachers will continue to use that parking area, also, although some may be diverted to the lot east of the administration building on Indian Way.
The biggest changes will be for high school student drivers and parents of high school students who drop off and pick up their students.
Since the area that previously served as high school student parking is now the site of the new junior high/high school building, during the construction process, high school student parking will be moved to the primary/elementary lot inside Vestal Bennett Loop. Additionally, since that lot will be closed, parents will not be able to use it to drop off high school students.
High school student drivers will enter campus on Mayall Street, then at the intersection of Mayall and Football Way, turn north onto Football Way, cross Gilliam Street, and enter the parking lot in the middle entrance.
“We will have someone stationed at the intersection of Mayall Street and Football Way to allow only students to turn in,” said Superintendent Brandi Naylor, “and we will also have someone stationed at Gilliam Street and the north end of Football Way to make sure students enter the parking lot in the middle entrance.”
The plan for parents who drop off and pick up high school students is to use a shortened loop in front of the current high school.