Hello Cocopah Parents and Guardians,

We're excited to welcome students back to school on Monday, 8/5/24! Gates open at 7:20 am. Classes will begin at 7:45 am and end at 2:20 pm. To ensure a smooth and safe transportation experience for everyone, we kindly ask parents to be patient, courteous, and considerate while driving. Carpooling or using the school bus is a great way to make the commute easier. For details on SUSD bus routes and pickup/drop-off locations, please visit: https://www.susd.org/departments/transportation . 

Drop off and pick up recommended traffic directions. 

• On Cholla please head Eastbound. 
• On 66TH street please approach Cocopah from the South and exit South on 66th Street or East on Cholla. Drop off on 66th Street is the main drop off and pick up lane.  

Friendly reminders from our wonderful School Resource Officer Dyer  
 
 The traffic pattern at Cocopah Middle School causes a hazard for the safety of students, staff, and parents if not followed. There are ways to keep our community safe, so I am asking you to please follow these guidelines:
 
 -No drop-off/pick-up in the driveway in front of the front office. There is a sign indicating this is not permitted. Even when running late, we ask that you either park in the parking lot and walk them in to be signed in or drop them off in the bus stop area on Cholla.
 
 -No U-turns on Cholla in front of the school. I know this may be convenient, but it is super dangerous, especially with the larger vehicles.  I have been communicating with the City of Scottsdale regarding placing No UTurn signs up, which would make it illegal however it is a lengthy process. I would prefer that we consider the safety of the students and take a different approach to the school or exit route and go around the block.
 
 -Dropping off should be a very quick process. No backpacks should be in trunks. Students should be prepared to immediately get out of the vehicle so as to not hold up the line. Please do not drop your student off (or pick them up) on the southbound lane (west side) of 66 St and have them cross all lanes of traffic to enter the side gate to campus.
 
 -Picking up should be a quicker process than dropping off. Students need to be at the curb and ready to get into the vehicle.  We cannot have cars waiting for students. If you have a student who tends to be slower to get to the vehicle after school, please arrive later during pickup time after the initial rush. There is a real safety hazard on our streets, especially Cholla. If we had an emergency vehicle attempt to go eastbound on Cholla during the 15 minutes or so during pick-up, they would not be able to get through. This should be a concern for everyone, as that emergency vehicle may be trying to reach your child or your friend or family member.  We need kids to hurry to the car and get in as quickly as possible. We need drivers to drive all the way to the bumper of the car in front of them so the traffic can continue to move forward, even if that means your student must walk to the end of the line of traffic to reach you. Again, the priority is clearing the entire roadway as quickly as possible.  Understand that the student loading zone on Cholla is actually a bus zone and a no-parking zone. It was only recently that parents were given permission to drop off / pick up here. If you can respect the safety issues then hopefully it can continue to be used as a student loading zone.
 
 -Walkers should not be crossing the street anywhere other than the crosswalk, even with a parent! It is simply not safe.
  
 -Crosswalks – Under no circumstances should a vehicle stop on a crosswalk in any direction. If a crossing guard is in the crosswalk, traffic stops.  Students can be unpredictable, sometimes they go in a direction that we do not anticipate.
 
 -Respect – Please respect nearby homeowners. Do not park in front of people’s driveways. Speak with your kids about not throwing garbage in yards or sitting in / walking through people’s yards while strolling home or to their next destination.
  
 We encourage families to carpool or consider using the bus. I know it isn’t always “cool”,  however, it would certainly alleviate many of the traffic issues that families complain about. The other complaints are about the drivers who do not drive safely. It is also much safer to drop off / pick up at the actual parent pick-up line, which is northbound on 66 St, NOT on Cholla.
  
 Let's make 2024-2025 a great year for Cocopah! Thank you for your cooperation and support!