Sophia Goldberg sports editor
Jason Harward co-editor-in-chief
Getting 1,400 students to class on time in two short bursts of about 10 minutes is no small feat, especially when construction along the front of the school has knocked out what used to be the accepted drop-off area along Moreno.
However, House A Assistant Principal Phil Wenker and other administrators believe the loop system around the Science and Technology Center (STC) is very efficient for the task, even if some hurried parents drop passengers off in prohibited areas.
“Currently, we’re doing exactly what we’ve done in the past. We have the circle around the science building there, where parents can pull in, drop students off and then pull out,” Wenker said. “Normally, that’s where we have security, myself and another administrator watching and directing traffic. We also have, right in front of the school there, past the cones, another drop-off zone.”

Wenker concurs with Mead that a heavy presence of administration and security helps keep the drop off zone safe for both drivers and students. Wenker added that the arrangement works well in that it gets most students to class on time.
 
“For what we have, for limitations for what we can do, I’d say it works pretty efficiently. In a given less than 15-minute span, most of the kids get dropped off and most kids are there on time. We haven’t really had any incidents, so I would say it’s working pretty well,” Wenker said.
However, students have a different opinion on the situation. Senior Sherin Ebrahimi has been driving to school for two years and has experienced problem almost every day, with cars stopping on Moreno and blocking traffic moving into the driveway instead of using the drop off locations set up for parents.
“Once I come down Moreno to Durant, I usually have to be more cautious because around 7:55 a.m., many people are running late and tend to drive recklessly,” Ebrahimi said. “The parents dropping off their kids across the street [from the science building] in the red zone end up blocking traffic turning into the circle behind the science building.”
Sophomore Ben Nesbit was hit by a car two weeks ago while using the crosswalk in front of the Swim Gym. The routine cross became an emergency when, according to Nesbit, “all of a sudden, the lady’s car just hit me.”
 
Nesbit disagrees with administration entirely, stating that the carpool situation is reckless and not successful at getting students in and out of campus — especially when compared to his old school in England.
“I don’t think it is effective at all. Parents in a rush don’t have time to use the carpool loop. The other option they have is to stop illegally and let the kids out on the street,” Nesbit said. “All schools in England have a crossing guard, and I feel it would be a lot safer for people to cross [if Beverly had one.]”
Although students see the cases of drivers breaking the rules, Mead thinks the school does almost all it can to communicate the rules effectively.
“We have in our safety plan and in our communication with parents that drop-off is at the STC building,” Mead said. “That is where we want it.”