Students across Oxford and Lafayette County return to classrooms this week. School officials expect the usual problems with traffic drop-offs and pick-ups as students, parents, teachers, and staff begin another academic year.

Bramlett Elementary is opening the semester with a new building that includes seven new classrooms, relocation of playground equipment, addition of sidewalks and a new road to help accommodate the school’s recent growth.

Oxford Police assisted the school with the task of informing parents and guardians of a new traffic flow plan that will start Thursday morning. The district this week emailed an explanation of the process to parents, including a link to a short video with a school resource office walking through the new approach and exits to give parents an idea of what to expect.

The new road on the east side of campus allows 110-120 cars to approach the car-rider line in double lanes. Car riders will keep right at the top of the Bramlett driveway onto the new road. 

There is no drop-off at the front entrance this year, and for safety reasons, walkers are no longer allowed. Parents have long parked on Jefferson Avenue and allowed students to walk onto campus. All students will now be dropped off.

School officials said tips to help make the drop-off process smoother include having students sit on the passenger side of the vehicle, have all backpacks ready and unbuckling close to the stopping point.

After morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up parents will be able to exit the campus using two lanes. An officer will periodically stop traffic to allow buses to enter the traffic flow.