Horns honk, cars line up against each other. An administrator stands in the middle of the chaos,
trying to direct traffic. Parents and guardians call out, beckoning their children to vehicles in the
middle of Lewisville-Clemmons Road. Parents line up bumper- to- bumper in the second and
third lots (where they shouldn’t be). This is what happens after school at dismissal. The lack of
organization not only infuriates everyone involved, but also puts students in danger. With the
main road constantly backed up due to dismissal traffic, the whole situation is harder to control.
There have been countless issues, accidents and complaints regarding the bus schedule and
upperclassmen parking arrangements; the bus conflict was even reported on WXII-12 News. We
can all agree that better dismissal methods are necessary.
Those who attended the second semester in person last year had similar problems with
dismissal. This year the problems have become worse due to the increased number of students.
As a car rider, I know the pain of waiting an extra 10-15 minutes for my parents to arrive and get
a convenient spot to safely pick me up. Cars can be seen waiting in outrageously long lines,
interfering with the flow of traffic on the main road. As there is limited space provided at the
school itself, some kids are seen walking down the busy Lewisville-Clemmons Road to meet
their parents or guardians in another parking lot down the street. This is extremely dangerous for
the students. In the second and third lots, the only difference is that parents are not supposed to
use them at all. The cars in the second lot enter in two lines and must loop around the whole
parking lot to exit. Buses are also blocked from entering the second lot as parents’ cars are
blocking the entrance.  The second lot is strictly for upperclassmen
parking and nothing else. If parents stopped using the second and third lots, then students parked
in that area would be able to exit with fewer issues.
Apparently, this dismissal issue is a common occurrence among many Winston-Salem Forsyth
County Schools. There have been several complaints concerning the situation, according to a
letter from an administrator to parents. The letter describes the problem as “cumbersome” and
“time consuming” and states that transportation has been a “challenge” in general. Teachers and
administrators might disagree and say that this is the best they can do. While there is not much
that can be done to accommodate more than 2,300 students, one would think that someone would
have created better dismissal methods by now.
Parents are frustrated and students are anxious to return home sooner. This frustration and
anxiety could come to an end with a few modifications to the dismissal system. Traffic directors
should remain to promote organization and order in the system. When more crossing guards are
available, additional help should be hired. Perhaps teachers and other staff could have designated
or assigned parking spaces not in the way of the dismissal line, making it more convenient for
them to exit. Even though it may seem like it, I’m not the only one thinking about better methods
to accommodate both students and administrators. “We more than understand the frustration and
we are working every day to make improvements,” an email from the WSFCS administration
stated. “In fact, our transportation teams are changing routes daily, and will work through the
weekend to increase efficiency.” However, it’s not just about parents’ frustration, convenience
for teachers and staff, or about how long students have to wait. In the end, it all comes down to
the safety and well-being of everyone in the school community