At the Oct. 10 meeting of the Board of Education, Superintendent Susan Kay Salvaggio outlined new student drop-off procedures at Niskayuna High School that are designed to improve traffic flow and – most importantly – to ensure student safety. The procedures will take effect Monday, Oct. 15.

The modifications to student arrival procedures are two-fold: A renewed emphasis on all pedestrians using crosswalks and they call for new options for parents dropping students off at the school.

The Superintendent and Board members emphasized that since the capital project was finalized in recent years, traffic flow in the morning has been significantly improved. But, Salvaggio noted, officials believed that there was still room for improvement and wanted to make sure they were doing everything possible to ensure the safety of everyone who accesses the high school campus.

As they reviewed morning traffic patterns at the high school, officials observed that the busiest time is from 7:20 a.m. to 7:35 a.m., a fact that helped determine the new approach. Here are the procedures:

For Parents dropping off students

• All students should be dropped-off curbside at one of three locations, which will depend upon if a student has an instrument and the time of arrival (for the Nott Street entrance).

• Prior to 7:20 a.m., parents should only use the Balltown Road entrance to the campus.

• If you are using the Balltown Road entrance and dropping off a child with no musical instrument, turn left at the stop sign and drop your child off at the pool entrance. This is a new drop-off location.

• If you are dropping off a middle or high school child with an instrument, turn right at the stop sign and use the circle right in front of the building to drop your child off curbside.

• For the Nott Street Entrance: This entrance is only to be used for student drop-offs after 7:20 a.m. Proceed onto the campus and drop students off curbside at the bus loop. Use the circle to exit the campus on Nott Street also.

• Students are not to be dropped off at any location other than the three designated curbside drop-off points. Eliminating stops at other points in the roadway is an important element of improved traffic flow and student safety.

Pedestrians Must Use Crosswalks

• The district will refresh the paint at the two existing crosswalks which lead from the student parking lot to the front of the high school. It will put into place free-standing pedestrian markers.

• The district will establish a third crosswalk leading from the center of the student parking lot to the front of the school. It will establish concrete steps with handrails in this spot, which will be especially helpful in winter and other inclement weather, and will post visible cross walk signs.

• The district plans to provide additional adult supervision to help motorists and students during this time of transition.

The district will monitor the impact of the new procedures of the coming weeks. Thank you for your cooperation as we work to ensure safe and orderly student arrival time at the high school.