Derby High School is starting the school year off with changes all around the school.

One change is the student parking lot traffic plan.

In 2017-18, students were allowed to exit the school parking lot on James Street by Rock River Rapids or on Madison. Students cannot turn left onto Madison, they can only exit the school by turning right onto Madison.  

This year, however, the Rock River Rapids exit is blocked off, and the K hall parking is now only for student pick up and drop off, as well as teacher parking.

Some would argue that the new traffic plan is a waste of time and more dangerous than last year, while others believe it’s efficient and safer for students.

“It’s inconvenient, like I understand that it’s for safety reasons, but it’s just super inconvenient and unpractical “ Kayla Webb said.

However, senior Paiton Glickman believes the traffic plan is an improvement from last year.

“I’m kind of glad they changed it to be honest, even though some people still don’t know what one way means.” she said.

The reason for the change is simple: make the arrivals and departures as safe as possible.

“We are trying to get as many people in by 8 (a.m.) as possible,” assistant principal Shane Seeley said. “We are limited on the number of entry/exit points, but wanted to make parking for students and staff, and drop-off for parents as smooth as possible once in the parking lot.

“We also wanted to make exiting 2,000-plus people as safe and efficient as we can within our current constraints. By creating one way in the student parking lot, we are able to utilize three lanes of traffic in the morning. We are also able to use two lanes when exiting. Flowing the same way all the time, helps keep traffic as smooth as possible.”

Before school

After school