By Spencer Ripchik
Despite security officer’s belief that the current afternoon traffic system is “good”, students are
outraged that the system at Saratoga Springs High School is “not efficient”. Dismissal occurs at 2:30 in
the afternoon at the High School, and two thousand students get onto a bus or into their cars.
Students like senior Arleigh Soule, have come to strongly disagree with the system. Soule said,
“it is very poor, and it is terrible to see people full on sprint, shove kids, and kick kids out of the way to
get to their car.” The school, as of 2019, has two exits, one disperses to West Circular and the other to
West Ave. Soule believes that “You won’t get out of the parking lot for thirty minutes, no joke, personal
experience.” The crowded exits cause disruption in the short trip and consume students time.
“Students shouldn’t rush”, said head security officer at Saratoga Springs High School Mr. Leffler.
“If they really want to get out quick, Leffler said, then “I would park on ‘the strip’ facing toward the
street.” Security officers have not prioritized complaints from student drivers and have different
priorities when it comes to dismissal. “The buses are our priority”, said Mr. Leffler regarding who gets
to leave the school first.
Many students at the High School have jobs and other commitments that need quick exits. Leffler boasted “the traffic after-school is a lot better than in the morning.” Which contradicts Soules claim that “the after-school traffic is definitely worse”.
Foster Goff, senior, stated the traffic caused her to be late for her after-school job. “I have a
part-time job after school, and I have to be there at 3 o’clock and it is really difficult for me to get out of
the school at 2:30, and be able to get out of the senior lot, and be at my job at 3 o’clock,” Goff said.
Students have come up with their own solutions to the problem. Senior Mark Verra stays after
school to bypass all traffic problems. “I stay after to talk to a teacher and when I get out there is no
traffic”, says Verra. Verra leaves at 3:30 on average and has never been in a car accident on school
premises. After Saratoga Springs limited after school buses to two days of the week, kids are less
tempted to stay after school on the three other days knowing they might not have provided transport
home.
The thirty-six afternoon buses are sent off at 2:39 and all exit on West Ave. Security positions
two traffic directors that stop cars and pave a way for the buses. The system to the security officers is
“the best it can be at the moment” and the only improvements that could be made would have to cost
the school financially