Drop-Off and Pick-Up/Carpool Policy 

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Purpose 

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To ensure the safety, efficiency, and orderly arrival and dismissal of students, Morning Star Preparatory Academy has established the following procedures for student drop-off and pick-up. These procedures are designed to reduce congestion, maintain appropriate student supervision, and minimize the risk of accidents in and around school parking and carpool areas. 

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General Safety Guidelines 

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• Please be courteous and follow all directions provided by MSPA staff. 

• Follow all posted traffic and parking signs. 

• Drive slowly and remain alert for children and pedestrians at all times. 

• Do not use cell phones while driving through the drop-off or pick-up areas. 

• Students should enter and exit vehicles from the passenger side whenever using the carpool line. 

• Pull as far forward as directed before loading or unloading students. 

• Do not stop or park in the carpool lane unless directed by MSPA staff. 

• You may pass vehicles in the carpool line if you are finished loading/unloading. 

• Parents/guardians should remain in their vehicles while actively using the carpool line unless instructed otherwise. 

• Do not park in or block reserved parking spaces. 

• Please allow additional time during arrival and dismissal. Staff must safely load and unload students while keeping traffic moving. 

• Students may not walk through the parking lot or active carpool area without an authorized adult. 

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Morning Drop-Off 

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1844 

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Morning drop-off is from 7:30–7:50 a.m. 

• Please follow the directions of MSPA staff. 

• Do not allow your child to exit the vehicle until you have reached the designated unloading area. 

• Staff members will be available in the unloading area to assist students. 

• Students should have their belongings ready before reaching the unloading zone. 

• Parents/guardians should remain in their vehicles while using the carpool line. 

• Do not drop off students at the morning drop off area after 7:50 or if there is not a staff member on duty. 

• All students that arrive after 7:50 must be brought to the office and parent/driver must hand the student off to a staff member. 

• All students that arrive after 8:00 a.m. must be brought in to the office and checked in with the receptionist.  

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Noon Drop-Off and Pick-Up 

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1844 

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Noon drop-off and pick-up is from 11:40–11:55 a.m. 

• Please follow the directions of MSPA staff. 

• Do not allow your child to exit the vehicle until you have reached the designated unloading area. 

• Students should have their belongings ready before reaching the unloading zone. 

• When picking up, please display the names of the students you are authorized to pick up when requested. 

• Parents/guardians should remain in their vehicles while using the carpool line. 

• Staff will assist students participating in the supervised carpool process. 

• Do not drop off students at the noon drop off area after 11:55 a.m. or if there is not a staff member on duty.  

• All students that arrive after 11:55 a.m. and after the line of cars is gone must be brought to the office and parent/driver must hand the student off to a staff member. 

• All students that arrive after 12:05 must be brought in to the office and checked in with the receptionist. 

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Afterschool Pick-Up 

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Afterschool pick-up is from 3:25–3:45 p.m. 

The school day ends at 3:30 p.m. 

Parents/guardians have two options for afternoon dismissal. 

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Option 1: Carpool Line 

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Parents/guardians may use the designated carpool line. 

• Follow all directions provided by MSPA staff. 

• Remain in your vehicle unless instructed otherwise. 

• When requested, display the names of the students you are authorized to pick up. 

• Students participating in carpool will be released through the supervised dismissal process. 

• Staff will assist students in safely reaching their vehicle through the designated carpool area. 

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Option 2: Walk-In Pick-Up 

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Parents/guardians who do not wish to use the carpool line may pull through the center parking lot, park in an available non-reserved parking space, and walk into the building to pick up their child or children. 

• Parents/guardians must personally enter the building to pick up their child. 

• After picking up the student, the parent/guardian must personally escort the child back to the vehicle. 

• Students will not be sent outside simply because a parent or guardian has arrived. 

• Parents/guardians may not call the school and request that a student be “sent out.” 

• Students may not walk through the parking lot or active carpool area without an authorized adult. 

• Reserved parking spaces may not be used for student pick-up. 

The parking and carpool areas have active vehicle traffic and are not considered safe areas for students to navigate without adult supervision. 

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Student Sign-Out and Early Pick-Up 

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Any student picked up before 3:25 p.m., or at any other time during the school day, must be signed out through the front office by an authorized parent/guardian or approved pick-up person. 

• Parents/guardians must report to the front office before removing a student from school. 

• Students may not be picked up directly from a classroom, hallway, playground, or other area without completing the front-office sign-out process. 

• Once the student has been properly signed out, the parent/guardian is responsible for escorting the student from the building to the vehicle. 

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Pick-Up During the Start of Dismissal 

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Parents/guardians picking up a student before 3:25 p.m. may come to the front office, sign the student out, and have the student called to the office. 

Once afternoon dismissal begins, students and staff are transitioning to and participating in the carpool process. During this time, the receptionist must remain at the front office and cannot leave her assigned post to locate or retrieve individual students. 

Parents/guardians who do not wish to use the carpool line must either: 

• enter the building and personally pick up their child, then escort the child back to their vehicle; or 

• wait in the front office until their child arrives at the front. 

The school will not send a student outside simply because a parent has called or arrived in the parking lot. 

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Late Arrivals 

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If you arrive after the designated morning or noon drop-off period and there is no staff member outside to receive your child, you must: 

• Pull into the front parking lot and park your vehicle in an appropriate parking space 

• walk your child into the building 

• check the student in through the front office 

Children may not be dropped off outside without a staff member present to receive them. 

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Late Pick-Up 

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Afterschool pick-up is scheduled from 3:25–3:45 p.m. 

Students who have not been picked up by 3:45 p.m. after the carpool line has fully cleared must be picked up from the front office in 1830. 

A late fee of $1 per student, per minute, will begin once the carpool line has ended after 3:45 p.m. and all remaining students have been brought to the front office. The fee will continue until the student is picked up. 

Parents/guardians arriving after 3:45 p.m. and after the carpool line has ended must enter the front office in 1830 to pick up their child. Students will not be sent outside to meet a parent or vehicle.