Being located on a large road and having an attendance boundary that spans all of Ann Arbor and beyond provides many unique challenges to pick-up and drop-off at Ann Arbor Open. If we all work together, as a community, we can make pick-up and drop-off safer for all of our students!

How can my family make Pick-Up and Drop-Off safer?

We know not all options are possible for all people! Our hope is that you will take the opportunity to try out these ideas and pick the one that works best for your family. All of these options play an important role in keeping kids safe!

1. Utilize bussing! Check-out the bussing guide on how to find out what bus your student is assigned to (if you live more than 1.5 miles from AAO) and learn more about the perks of bus transportation.
2. Park in the neighborhood! With options on both the Brooks and Red Oak sides of the school there is ample street parking available. This is a great option for families who find they arrive at pick-up/drop-off more than 10 or more minutes before the bell or for families whose students enjoy a little extra time to socialize on the playground in the afternoons. While there is currently construction on the Brooks side of the building consider parking on Arborview, walking up the hill of Miller towards 7th street and crossing at the cross walk with our wonderful crossing guard, Jason!
3. Walk or roll to school! If you live within walking or biking distance to Open it can be a great way to start the day together or debrief the school day together as a family. We have many families who regularly walk and roll who are happy to share routes, safety tips, or meet up to walk in a group.
4. Follow all laws and safety guidelines when driving in our school zone and using the pick-up/drop off lanes to ensure all students, whether walking, rolling, or riding, get to and from school safely! For more information on this, check-out our “Pick-up/Drop-off” Do’s and Don’ts to avoid common issues.

Bussing Guide

Who is eligible? Ann Arbor Open Students who live more than 1.5 miles from school are eligible for bussing services. Bus riders do not have to take the bus every day and also have the option for AM or PM only service.

How do I know what bus my child should take? You can view current Ann Arbor Open Bus Routes here. If you have additional questions about bus assignments you can contact Ann Arbor Open’s wonderful Office Professionals, Heidi and Beth, or contact Laura Hayman one of the bus routers (lhayman@durhamschoolservices.com) or contact transportation at 734-994-2330.

Morning Bussing: In the morning, students need to get to their assigned neighborhood school or other nearby elementary school offering pick-up and can be taken to Open from there. During the 22-23 school year pick-ups occur at 12 different elementary schools.

Afternoon Bussing: In the afternoon, students will take a bus to their neighborhood school or other nearby elementary school. From there, they can walk home, meet or be picked up by a caregiver, or transfer to a bus at that school that will take them home.

What if my child is nervous about taking the bus? One of the many perks of being a Y5-8th grade school is most any bus will have an older student who would gladly help your child adjust to the bus. Whether it is meeting them at their classroom, sitting with them on the ride, or helping them know when it is time to get off there are many students happy to help!

Benefits of Bussing

1. Less time spent dealing with traffic on the way to or from Open.
2. Decreases traffic in our pick-up/drop-off lanes.
3. Extra social time for kids with friends who might not be in their class and according to some riders, you can do homework or even play web games while on the bus!
4. Depending on your location, bussing provides upwards of an hour of additional supervision for your student both before and after school.

Making Pick-Up and Drop Off-Safer: Driver Responsibilities

1. If able, park in the neighborhoods and meet your child at their classroom door. This helps by reducing the number of cars in the lot to only those that absolutely need to use the expresslane.
2. Be alert and avoid distractions (cell phones - if your car is not in park it is illegal to be using your device in Michigan beyond 1 touch of a docked device ) to keep all of our kids safe!
3. Follow all posted signs, such as the one-way exits in our lot and the no left-hand turn onto Miller (see options to reroute onto Miller safely and legally here!)
4. Do not block the Red Oak Crosswalk - leave room between the fire hydrant on Red Oak all the way to the bus stop on Miller. These areas should not have vehicles idling in them to help keep our students (and community members) who walk, bike, and take the city bus safe!

Making Pick-Up and Drop-Off Safer: Pedestrian Responsibilities

1. Utilize sidewalks on both the Red Oak and Brooks Street sides of the school to reach the building. Do not cut through the parking lot.
2. Pick-up and drop-off are busy times. Cyclists should walk their bikes when on crowded sidewalks on school grounds.
3. Cross at designated crosswalks such as the stop sign at Red Oak, the stop Signs on Brooks, and with the guard at 7th and Miller.

Red Oak Parking Lot (the main lot in front of school)

The Red Oak parking lot has one continuous drop-off lane that is designated as the student drop-off area. Please drive safely, at very reduced speeds. Please don’t park in the drop-off lane ever – it is a fire lane, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The intended use of this lane is as an express drop-off area.

What do we mean by express drop off area?

• Only students should be exiting the vehicle. Drivers should never exit their vehicle in the express drop off lane!

• Anytime you have to exit your car or enter the school, you must park in a legal parking space.

• Express means quick.

• Children should always exit the side closest to the curb, quickly and safely only to the sidewalk without having to be in traffic.

• Express means efficient.

• If you will be using express drop-off please make sure your child's belongings are organized and ready to go prior to heading off to school. If using express drop off students should be able to get out of their vehicle and take all their belongings with them (lunch, winter clothes, instruments etc) without the help of the driver.

• Express still means safe.

• As traffic clears and you can pull forward, please pull as far forward as possible, to allow for the maximum number of cars to be moving ahead at once.
• Please do not “dip in” or “dip out” of spots. If everyone follows these guidelines drop off will be quick and all traffic can clear through the end of the drop-off lane.
• There should be no texting in driving in the drop off line. Drivers need to remain alert while utilizing express drop off.

Brooks Street Parking Lot (the Mack Pool lot)

The only vehicles entering this lot during the school day should belong to staff or to caregivers who have a disability plate or placard.  

This lot is used primarily as our bus loop. This means buses need easy access during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up as well as during the day for field trips.

Please do NOT park in the circle drive at any point – the circle drive is a fire lane, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Help! I’m stuck in the Red Oak Crosswalk! Now what?

Maybe you thought the pick-up line was moving faster or you were being honked at waiting to turn left off of Miller on the way into school and now you’re stuck in the crosswalk. It happens, but here is what to do next to keep the crosswalk clear for pedestrians who need it!

1. Park in the neighborhood and walk your student up to the school. There is ample street parking available on Red Oak, Lois Ct. and Wendy Rd.
2. Take Red Oak (will briefly be called Wendy Rd before becoming Red Oak again) to Mixtwood. Turn right onto Mixtwood and then Right on to Brooks. From there you can turn right on Miller and rejoin the drop-off/pick-up line. **Brooks is experiencing intermittent construction so may require alternative routes back onto Miller