TMS Traffic Procedures

Dear Parents and Guardians,

With almost 1,000 middle schoolers and 130+ staff members coming to and from TMS daily, we must use a variety of transportation methods. Many students walk or ride bikes independently, while others are dropped off or picked up. Additionally, we operate 12 school buses and several specialized cabs each day.

Please know that the drop-off and pick-up process can take at least 10-15 minutes, with more time required during inclement weather when traffic increases. Following established guidelines ensures everyone's safety. The drop-off and pick-up experience at TMS depends on adults adhering to these procedures. We kindly ask parents to share these expectations with relatives and neighbors who pick up students.

Our students are familiar with these expectations, and we urge parents to set a good example by following procedures. Please do not compromise safety by having children exit or enter vehicles outside designated zones.

Thank you in advance for demonstrating patience, grace, and care with one another!

Sincerely,

The TMS Admin Team

Lori, Greg, Allie, & Kyle

• Before we begin, a few housekeeping notes! The parking lot located on the corner of Arlington Heights Road and Belmont is called the WEST parking lot. The parking lot located off of the Belmont Street school entrance is called the SOUTH parking lot.
• Families are encouraged to talk with their students about their expectations for their child during arrival and dismissal.
• Everyone MUST BE safe and recognize that drop-off and pick-up at a school as large as TMS will take at least 5-10 minutes. If you're short on time, please consider dropping your child off on Douglas Street or Olive Street.
• DO NOT park or drop off students on Belmont Avenue north of Thomas Street as that increases congestion.
• DO NOT drop off or pick up on Thomas Street between Arlington Heights Road and Belmont Avenue as this is very dangerous.

• Students should arrive at school between 7:30-7:40. Please plan for adequate time so that the morning is peaceful and students are not rushed.

• 6th Grade Drop-Off: 6th graders should be dropped off in the WEST (Thomas Street) parking lot.
• 7th & 8th Grade Drop-Off: All 7th and 8th graders should be dropped off at the Belmont Avenue drop-off line. Please pull forward as far as possible to allow as many cars to drop off at once. Students should NOT exit the car until the car is past the yellow line on the sidewalk.
• The drop-off lane will be extended past, or just south, of the entrance to the SOUTH (Belmont Avenue) parking lot, which will be closed from 7:30-8:00 AM each morning. No traffic will be allowed in or out of the parking lot, aside from school buses. This will provide a longer drop-off zone for students on Belmont Ave. We are hopeful that this will help reduce the long line from Thomas Street to Belmont Ave.

• AM Bus Drop Off: The TMS buses will drop off in the SOUTH (Belmont Avenue) parking lot between 7:20 - 7:40 AM.

• Student Arrival Doors

  • During arrival, 6th graders enter the NORTH doors that face Thomas Street.
  • During arrival, 7th & 8th graders enter the main entrance doors near the SOUTH (Belmont Avenue) parking lot.

• PM Bus Pick-Up: The TMS buses will pick up in the WEST (Thomas Street) parking lot at 2:45 PM. Cars are absolutely not permitted in this lot during after-school pick-up.
• Parent Pick-Up Line: ALL 6th, 7th & 8th graders can be picked up in the carpool line, which is on Belmont Avenue. Please be sure to form a single line along Belmont Avenue and remain in your car until your student arrives. It is essential that you pull up as cars exit the pick-up line. If you do not pull up, this causes a backup on Thomas Street.
• PLEASE DO NOT pick your students up on Thomas Street: This creates an incredibly unsafe situation for your children. Students know that this is NOT ACCEPTABLE, and we ask that you do NOT put your child in a position to violate this safety expectation.
• PLEASE DO NOT park in the carpool line on Belmont Avenue. Consider meeting your child for pick-up at 3:00 instead of 2:50 after school, or consider establishing a pick-up spot such as a location on Olive Street south of TMS or on Douglas Street. However, your child must use the crosswalks. Cars are encouraged not to wait in the pick-up line south of the TMS parking lot because students are not permitted to cross the Belmont Avenue parking lot crosswalk. Students should not walk southbound on Belmont Avenue past the Belmont Street parking lot crosswalk.
• Students can walk on the west sidewalk along Belmont Avenue as long as they DO NOT CROSS Belmont Avenue outside of the corner crosswalks. TMS will have a staff supervisor at the SOUTH (Belmont) parking lot entrance/exit to assist students in crossing as they walk on the sidewalk on the west side of Belmont. Please speak with your children about not jaywalking across Belmont Avenue, as this is extremely dangerous. We will continue to work closely with the students to establish safe routines for utilizing the crosswalks.

• Student Dismissal Doors

  • During dismissal, all students taking the bus will exit out the LMC doors. Buses will pick up in the WEST (Thomas Street) parking lot.
  • During dismissal, all students walking, biking, or getting picked up in the carpool line are encouraged to exit the building using the NORTH 6th grade doors that face Thomas Street. This promotes the use of the crosswalk to safely cross Belmont Avenue.

  
  

• Students are required to use the crosswalks when crossing the streets. This is the safest way to cross the street.
• Students are asked to wait a bit longer, BEHIND THE YELLOW LINES, and cross in groups at both Belmont Avenue and Arlington Heights Road, and Thomas Street.
• Students should wait until the crossing guard tells them to cross the street. Please discuss this with your child and remind them that they need to demonstrate patience and respect while waiting for the crossing guard behind the yellow line until they are given permission to cross.

Please direct all bus transportation questions to the District 25 Transportation Specialist:

Laura Comastro. Mrs. Comastro can answer your questions and resolve issues.

lcomastro@sd25.org

847-758-4888

LATE BUSES: If the bus is more than ten minutes late, parents may call Cook County School Bus Co. at 847-439-0923 to find out if the bus is late, or missed a stop. Parents who cannot stay at the bus stop should have a contingency plan with neighbors and with their children concerning what to do if the bus is more than 10 minutes late in the morning or if the parent is not home after school.

ITEMS LEFT ON THE BUS: If a student leaves an item on the bus, the parent should contact Cook Co. School Bus Company at 847-439-0923 to locate the item and to make arrangements for it to be returned. This can be done either on the bus route the next day or by the parent going to the bus company to pick it up (1910 S. Busse Rd., A.H.).

CONCERNS AND COMPLIMENTS: Bus emergency concerns: Contact Cook County School Bus at 847-439-0923 or for the AHSD25 Transportation Manager during the school work day, 847- 758-4888. About bus drivers/bus service: Contact the Transportation Specialist at 847-758-4888. About other passengers: Contact the school office to report any issue with regard to behavior on the bus.

BUS PASSES: Starting October 1st, all students will need to show their bus pass in order to ride the bus!

BUS EVACUATION PROCEDURES: All students practice the bus evacuation procedures in the fall and spring of each school year during PE/Health class.

ADDITIONAL BUS INFORMATION: Please check out the transportation link on the District 25 website.

Email: tmsadmin@sd25.org
Website: www.sd25.org/thomas
Location: 1430 N Belmont Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60004