At the end of the school day, no one wants to sit and wait in the parking lot. Yet many afternoons, students trying to leave campus are stuck for nearly thirty minutes because parents use the student driver parking lot as an unofficial pick up zone. Instead, parents should be required to use the roundabout for pick up because the current situation traps student drivers, delays after school commitments, and creates unnecessary frustration for everyone trying to leave.

This issue has become especially noticeable as more parents choose to wait in student spaces rather than follow the designated traffic flow. The roundabout was created to manage pick up efficiently, but when parents ignore it and sit behind parked student cars, they block the students who genuinely need to leave on time. Many students balance jobs, sports practices, tutoring, appointments, and responsibilities at home. When they cannot exit the parking lot because cars are lined up behind them, they arrive late through no fault of their own. A student who is trying to be responsible should not be delayed because someone else decided to use the wrong area for pick up.

The student lot is meant for parking, not for waiting. When parents fill the lanes or position their cars behind student vehicles, it prevents the lot from functioning the way it is supposed to. The roundabout may appear long at times, but it continues to move. Even a slow moving line is far more efficient than a blocked lot where no one can get out. The roundabout keeps cars flowing in a single direction, which allows students to exit quickly once school ends.

Some parents may think they are saving time by avoiding the roundabout, but in reality they create a backup that affects hundreds of students. The delay is not a minor inconvenience. It is something students experience every day, and it consistently disrupts their schedules and obligations.

Bishop Manogue emphasizes respect and personal responsibility. Requiring all parent pick up in the roundabout supports these values and allows the end of the school day to run smoothly. If the school wants to reduce frustration and respect students time, then enforcing pick up rules is an important first step. Parents should pick up in the roundabout, not the student parking lot.