Transportation
Getting about 700 children to school and home again every day poses logistical challenges, especially for a school that was designed for pedestrian and bus transportation. To keep our students as safe as possible during arrival and departure, Laurel School has worked out drop-off and pick-up procedures.
Student safety and traffic flow are critical issues at Laurel, where we face delays from large amounts of car traffic at school start and end times. Please join the families who use alternatives to single-family car trips.
- The District yellow school bus serves Laurel School's students in the mornings and in the afternoons. Click here for more information and to get started requesting a seat for your student(s) to ride the yellow school bus.
- Carline is for efficient drop off and pick-up. Carline starts on the first day of school.
- Starting at 7:45 AM at the Lower Campus and 8:00 at the Upper Campus, you may drop your child off along in front of the school.
- Parents must remain in their cars at all times, so students should be able to unbuckle themselves in the morning and easily grab their school items from the car.
- Please drive slowly at all times through the driveway and parking lot and follow the arrows.
- Form a single line of cars next to the sidewalk for drop-off. Do not double park to drop-off your child, as it is very dangerous to allow children to walk between cars.
- Please pull up as far as you can along the curb, so as not to block incoming cars.
- TK students and Kindergartners proceed to the kindergarten yard, where they will be collected by their teachers when the bell rings. All other students go to the main playgrounds.
- Do not park your car in the drop-off area, even for a few minutes, this backs up the drop-off line.
- Important Tip: Arrive 15 minutes before school starts to enjoy a fast drop-off before the crowds arrive.
- Carline is for convenient drop off and pick-up. Carline starts on the first day of school.
- All families picking up a student at Laurel after school must display a carline pick-up name card. You will not be allowed to pick-up children at Laurel by car without displaying your carline name card.
- Your child’s teacher will bring your child to the carline area, where he/she will wait until your car pulls up with the student's name displayed on the dash.
- Parents must remain in their cars at all times. In the afternoon, students must be able to buckle themselves in when they are picked up.
- Once school starts, your teacher will collect information on how your child gets home each day, and who is allowed to pick-up your child. Your teacher will also let you know the best way to inform her if there is a change to the schedule. Do not email teachers in the middle of the day about pick-up changes. Please call the front office for mid-day changes of plans.
- Click here for more information regarding pick-up procedures.
- The gate at the Upper Campus on Oak Court is for bus traffic only.
- Cars are not allowed to use the bus gate for entrance/exit to the school.
- Cars must use Elliott Drive.
- Parking around Laurel is extremely limited. Utilize car pools when possible.
- Parents can park in the school parking lot or legally on neighborhood streets. Please click here for a map of surrounding area parking/no parking restrictions.
- Please note that during drop-off and pick-up hours there is no parking on Coleman Avenue or on parts of Edge Road and Ringwood Avenue.
- Do not park in staff parking spaces, in the red curb area, or along the curb in front of the school.
- You may not park and leave your car in front of the school at drop-off or pick-up times.
- Lock unattended vehicles and keep valuables out of site. Better yet, take them with you.
- When parking on any of the streets surrounding the school, PLEASE respect the residents and show consideration for pedestrians and bikers by parking your car so that it is not parked in a bike lane or blocking a driveway. Also, make sure that neighborhood streets have enough room for emergency vehicles to safely pass.
- Click here for information regarding pick-up procedures.
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Biking and Walking
The San Mateo County Safe Routes to School program funded the development of "Safe Routes to School" Walk and Roll maps for MPCSD schools. These maps show suggested routes for walking or biking to school within a one-mile radius of each campus. Please consider your family's circumstances and your children's abilities when deciding how & whether to commute to school car-free. Funding for this program is made possible by the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County.
- Lower Campus Walk and Roll Map (English)
- Lower Campus Walk and Roll Map (Spanish)
- Upper Campus Walk and Roll Map (English)
- Upper Campus Walk and Roll Map (Spanish)
Many students enjoy riding bikes or walking together, and the exercise helps their concentration in class.
- Children who bike to school are required by law to wear bicycle helmets.
- Bicycle racks are located outside the kindergarten yard and outside the main play yard at the Lower Campus. Bike racks are located in front of the school entryway and behind the gym at the Upper Campus. Please provide your own lock. We experience bicycle theft each year, mostly of unlocked bikes. Lock your bike!
- Please walk bikes and scooters through campus. Do not use the driveway in front of the school at drop-off or pick-up time.
- Click here for Laurel's Bike Safety tips.