Whether a student rides the bus, drive, or get picked up by parents, it’s no secret that trying to get home quickly after school is difficult. With everyone rushing to one place, it’s easy to get stuck in the wave of students, cars and school buses, leaving some students to explore ways to avoid the 4:10 p.m. pickup madness.

“I get picked up the by the band hall,” freshman Liv Goodman said. “I usually try to hurry to the car because it gets pretty hectic.”

Students not attending after school activities must be off campus by 4:30 everyday or suffer “disciplinary consequences.” Teachers monitor the hallways and outside campus after school, making sure everyone gets home safely.

“It’s a safety concern,” associate principal Ashley Rainwater said. “Students should go home or go to tutorials. Teachers cannot monitor students so it’s mainly a safety concern.”

Students with enough credits can avoid the trouble of getting off campus courtesy of early release at 2:28 p.m.

“Having early release is really nice,” junior Majed Abdel said. “I don’t have to go through the trouble of getting picked up in the chaos, and I can still go to lunch and enjoy the rest of the day. I’ve noticed the streets and all the public places aren’t as busy so it’s easy to get around.”

Students also have the privilege of driving themselves to and from school. If they have a parking pass, they’re able to park in the student parking lot with many students trying to beat the rush.  

“Normally being one of the first people out into the parking lot gives me a head start,” junior McKenzie Delacruz said. “I beat all the chaotic traffic, plus I live close by.”

For students that ride the bus, there can be some frustration trying to find the right bus after school, but once that’s done there aren’t many worries about traffic.

“Riding the bus isn’t that bad,” junior Adam Evans said. “Some of my friends ride the bus too, and we get to kind of wait till the first traffic rush ends.”