Safety is our primary concern when coordinating the arrival and dismissal of students whether they are walkers, car riders, or bus riders.
All children arrive and depart from school as either bus riders, car riders, or walkers.
On the first day, many PPE families choose to walk their children to the school’s front entrance. Parking is encouraged on Priest Road and Wilshire Drive and it gets crowded! During the first week of school, all methods of transportation tend to be slower than normal – please plan accordingly.
Bus Riders
If you live more than 1 ¼ mile from school, you should receive information from the MNPS Transportation Department that details your child’s bus route number and pick-up and drop-off times and locations. This information can also be accessed at the MNPS website (www.MNPS.org) under Our Schools/Buses and Transportation. Other information regarding the opening of schools is also available on this website. Specific bus questions can be found in the MNPS Transportation document. If you are a bus rider, please review the MNPS Policy on bus conduct, rules, and safety. The Remind App also helps families keep up with their bus. To join, send a text message to 81010. The content of the message should be as follows:
Walkers
Students are eligible to be walkers if they live in the school zone and are close enough to walk to school. The preferred method of dismissal for all non-bus riders is the car rider line. Walkers are limited to those students who are walking from their home to school and from school to their home.
Walker Drop Off Protocol
Walkers may enter through the front door on Priest Road only. Please watch for bus and car traffic and walk on the sidewalks. Parking on Wilshire/other neighboring streets is not permitted.
Walker Pick Up Protocol
Walkers will be dismissed from the front porch on Priest Road only. Please watch for bus and car traffic and walk on the sidewalks. Parking on Wilshire/other neighboring streets is not permitted.
Pre-K Drop Off Protocol
Pre-K students will enter the loop on Otter Creek. Pre-K cars will line up in the inside (right) lane. The area between the K-5 drop off doors/crosswalk and the Tiger Paws by the fire hydrant is the Pre-K dropoff zone.
Once your car is beyond the crosswalk, put your car in park and walk your Pre-K student to the door in the Pre-K dropoff zone. A member of the Pre-K team will check-in the student and gather students to enter the building.
Families with a Pre-K student and older siblings will drop off all students at the Pre-K dropoff zone. Once your car is beyond the crosswalk, put your car in park and walk your Pre-K student to the door in the Pre-K dropoff zone. K-5 students will walk along the sidewalk and enter at the K-5 doors.
After dropping off, cars will continue in the inside (right) lane around and exiting by turning left on Priest Road.
Pre-K Pick Up Protocol
Pre-K will dismiss in the back loop. At 1:45pm, the back gate will be unlocked for Pre-K cars only. Please have your Pre-K dash placard visible.
Pre-K cars will enter the loop from Otter Creek in the inside (right) lane stopping at Tiger Paws by the fire hydrant and the retaining wall.
Please put your car in park and walk to the Pre-K door to pick up your student. Students will be signed out. After loading, cars will continue around the loop and exit by turning left on Priest Road.
Car Riders
Car Rider Numbers will be distributed to new families at the All School Sneak-a-Peak and Popsicle Party on Monday August 4, 2025. They can also be picked up on the first day of school. Returning families will continue to use the same number. Please work with your child to learn his or her Car Rider Number before school starts or even consider writing it on their tote bag/tag.
Teachers, Staff, and 5th Grade Ambassadors will be available to help students find their classrooms. PTO volunteers are assigned to help parents navigate the traffic configuration. Please be patient and follow the safety rules – NO CELL PHONE USE during arrival or dismissal per Tennessee State Law and the safety of our children.
Car Rider Drop Off Protocol
Cars will enter the loop from Otter Creek. K-5 cars should stay in the left (outside) lane and drive up to the Tiger Paws at the fire hydrant by the retaining wall. Once stopped, car riders will exit on the passenger side of the vehicle and go immediately to the sidewalk.
Cars will proceed through the loop and exit by turning left on Priest Road. Right turns on Priest Road are not permitted in the K-5 lane during drop off. Lane changes after drop off are not permitted.
Car Rider Pick Up Protocol
K-5 cars will enter the loop from Otter Creek in two lanes. Please stop at the closed gate. The gate will open at 2:30pm and cars will pull up in two lanes stopping at the Tiger Paws at the fire hydrant by the retaining wall.
Please put your car in park and wait for students to be dismissed to your car. You will be able to exit your car at this point to let your child know where you are in line. Teachers and staff will then dismiss children to cars by turning a STOP sign to GO or SLOW.
Once loaded and signaled to move, cars will continue around the loop and exit to Priest Road. The left lane MUST TURN LEFT onto Priest Road. The right lane MUST TURN RIGHT onto Priest Road. Lane changes are not permitted at pick up.
Tiger Club
Tiger Club Drop Off Protocol
Tiger Club students will enter from the front loop on Priest Road by Wilshire Road. Cars will park in designated area near the marquee and across from the marquee. Parents and caretakers will walk their student into the cafeteria and sign in with a Tiger Club staff member. Cars will then exit back out onto Priest Road and turn right. Tiger Club students must be dropped off no later than 7:30am.
Tiger Club Pick Up Protocol
Tiger Club students will go to their designated area in the building for Tiger Club dismissal. Tiger Club dismissal will be from the cafeteria. Tiger Club staff will send out additional information and procedures for pick up.