After administration considered concerns about traffic patterns throughout the school day, the campus will have new changes that address where vehicles cant enter and exit throughout the day. After spring break, starting March 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., students and visitors will have to enter and exit through Eagle Drive, and other exits will be blocked.
“The main goal of it is to increase student safety on campus,” Assistant Principal Ross Andress said. “The primary concern (is) that driveway from frontier to Coleman, from the back to the front. We get a lot of public traffic that crosses through there, which actually is not legal. So, we’re going to shut that down and close off a lot of our other entrances, so we have a focused exit and entry for our students and parents, as well.”
Throughout the years, many people have used the Frontier Parkway to cross through Prosper to get to Eagle Drive faster. This action has presented new safety issues as students come from the school to the learning cottages or MPF for class or athletics. To combat this, Frontier Parkway, the entrance and exit at the auditorium, as well as the gymnasium side, and the side entrance and exits will be closed.
“In neighborhoods it’s one thing,” campus receptionist Molly Jones said. “It’s like 25 mph. On a school campus it’s 15. It’s not adhered to, so just the danger factor, and also, let’s be honest – students are leaving campus all the time.”
Students and staff driving to school are required to have a current parking pass on their windshield. If not present, it could result in a traffic violation. When students leave, they will need to show their Minga or their “check out pass” to confirm to the security guard why they’re leaving the campus during the day. For students that have early release at 2:08 p.m., the gates or cones will come up for students to leave their regular way.
“If you notice the cones, just be sure to notice them,” Andress said. “We’ll have it so it won’t be difficult for you to turn around. But, the cones will help close off all the closed entrances, so parents will have to go to the front.”
While administrators say the traffic closures are primarily for the safety of students, teachers have expressed how this could also help lessen the problem of students skipping classes during school day.
“I believe it’s reasonable,” math teacher Aaron Graham said. “If we’re not able to leave for lunch, students shouldn’t be able to leave for lunch either.”
There have been concerns about the parents and students who take Frontier Parkway to drop students off and avoid the train track, which has caused tardies for students trying to get to school on time. With the changes, students have raised concerns the new traffic-flow rules could cause more problems.
“I feel like the people who aren’t doing anything wrong, they’ll get off just fine,” senior Neerharika “Lucky” Alapati said. “But, the troublemakers will find a way to do something. I can’t do this every day for the last nine weeks, though my absences are squeaky clean.”
Additionally, there has been concern about worsening traffic, and some students have questioned whether a change this late into the school year will provide a solution with only nine weeks left.
“I think it’s wrong,” senior Minnah Maqsood said. “I mean, I understand the fact that they’re trying to fix traffic for students that come to the portables. But now, it’ll delay a lot more and affect everyone’s lives greatly, especially for people who have athletics or jobs.”
The changes in traffic also will include changes during dismissal ,such as no longer being able to park on the fire line for pick up. In addition, the gravel parking lot will close. Parents and students are encouraged to use the parking spots by the MPF.
“I think not being able to pick up people from the fire lane is pretty annoying,” senior Kenna Boyd said. “I believe parking by there won’t work very well because that’s where students park. So, I think parents parking to pick up students will cause more problems with traffic than solutions, but I guess I see why it can be a safety issue as well.”
More changes are yet to come as the traffic pattern changes. On social media, the school has started “Traffic Tuesdays,” where they provide information on the newest updates to the campus traffic patterns.
“Thank you so much for your attention to all these new details,” principal Paige Trujillo said on Prosper High School’s Instagram. “I can’t wait to roll this traffic pattern out, so we can keep our kids safe here at the Prosper High School.”
This article was edited by Trisha Panicker, Kate Duncan and Grace Suzuki.
