APD offers how-to guide to make student drop-off easy

By Joel Phelps
The Arkadelphian

For three months each year, Arkadelphia is a sleepy hamlet with scant traffic for morning and afternoon commuters. When mid-August rolls around, that all changes as schools and universities begin their near year. Seemingly overnight, the streets in Arkadelphia wake up to a swarm of traffic, like a disturbed anthill.

Wednesday, Aug. 17, will mark the first day of school for Arkadelphia Public Schools. Children will be crossing streets, waiting on buses or traversing sidewalks. Vehicles will line the once-empty streets as parents drop off or pick up their children, and newly licensed teenagers will be driving to the high school.

Police Chief Jason “Shorty” Jackson cautioned the public in advance of the increased traffic in Arkadelphia.

“I want to remind everyone that school traffic starts tomorrow morning,” Jackson said. “Please slow down in the school zones and do NOT be on your cell phones. We will be strictly enforcing both offenses. Cross-town traffic should avoid Walnut Street if possible. It is often faster to arrive 5-10 minutes after afternoon dismissal times to let the rush subside.”

Jackson thanked both the city board and school board for their recent votes to add a third school resource officer this year. Cpl. Randy Lau will be assigned to Goza Middle School, replacing Cpl. Jimmy Shearin who was transferred to Peake and Perritt and will be on both campuses daily. Cpl. Dewayne Ward will keep his post at Arkadelphia High School.

There will be additional patrol officers working during school traffic this week.

Jackson offered these guidelines to make the pickup and drop-off lines more orderly:

Perritt Primary School
7:15 a.m.: Morning drop-off begins
2:45 p.m.: Afternoon dismissal

“You must approach from the west and enter on 22nd Street around to 21st for staging,” Jackson said. “Do not block driveways when staging on these residential streets. When on Walnut stay as far to the right as possible, leaving room for two lanes of traffic to pass.” 

The street department this summer has added a third lane. There is no entrance to Perritt from the east. Buses are given priority and may enter from either direction.

Peake Elementary School
7:10 a.m.: Morning drop-off begins
2:55 p.m.: Afternoon dismissal

“You must approach on Main Street from the west,” Jackson said. “Traffic will be one-way and blocked from 12th to 15th streets. Behind the football field please use both lanes of Main Street to approach the turn into the school. You must exit on 12th Street and not cross the lot to Caddo as it is reserved for bus traffic. Do not attempt to enter the bus lot from either direction, and do not drop off your children on the Caddo Street side by the front doors.”

Goza Middle School
7:25 a.m.: Morning drop-off begins
3:05 p.m.: Afternoon dismissal

“Approach from Malone Drive and Badger Lane,” Jackson said. “Once traffic has staged to Malone you must approach from the north on the edge of Malone. You will not be allowed to block the northbound lane waiting to turn in across traffic. Pull all the way to the ‘Drop students here’ sign to let children out.”

Arkadelphia High School
7:25 a.m.: Morning drop-off begins
3:05 p.m.: Afternoon dismissal

“Car riders and student drivers should enter and leave on High School Drive,” Jackson said. “Car riders pass straight across the parking lot and circle left around the first row of cars to drop students at the front door.”