Effective upon return from spring break, as construction on the new Recreation and Wellness Center begins, the School has implemented alternative parking arrangements for student and faculty drivers, including a designated satellite drop-off location.

The School’s Construction Response Team sent a community-wide email on February 21, detailing the campus logistics during the new Gym construction. 

The email included important information regarding campus drop-off and pick-up, on-campus parking, and adjustments to facilities such as athletics programs and PE classes. 

For some community members, campus arrival will experience a change.

Students and parents can choose between two drop-off options: satellite or a slightly altered campus spot.

“To ease campus traffic, we have arranged a satellite drop-off location at 1280 Boylston Street (Route 9 east), also to be used for faculty and staff parking,” Chief Financial Officer Julian Hickman and Assistant Head of School Carl Coombs said in the email.

Starting from 7:30 am, students can be dropped off at the satellite location, and the School will arrange a one trip to campus only, student shuttle that departs promptly at 7:45 am. There will be posted signage at the satellite location to indicate if the shuttle has departed. 

Parents can also choose the second campus drop-off option. PK-5 parents can choose to drop off their children at the Devon Rd. back
Students grades 6-12, depending on westbound or eastbound traffic, can be dropped off in front of the Hastings Center or by using the Cummings Hall circle. 

Afternoon pick-up procedures will remain unchanged. 

The School also has a big number of student and faculty drivers. According to the email, faculty drivers will be moved to either the Longwood Cricket Club, or the new Route 9 satellite location, based on their seniority at the School.

Current student drivers who have a spot in the gym parking lot will park in the May Hall lot on campus. All students who are allowed to park on campus have already been notified about their new parking assignments.

Ryan Hurst ‘25, a student driver currently parking behind the gym, voices his worry about the parking situation.

“It’s going to be super crazy and unorganized,” Hurst said. “People are already taking the spaces, and it’s going to be more hectic in the mornings.”

However, student driver’s who don’t currently have a designated spot at the Gym lot will have to face increasing competition in the mornings for limited spots on alternative spaces such as Dunster Road.

Polly Zimmerman ‘25 and Aryaa Mutha ‘26 are drivers who currently park on Dunster Road.

“I always get here [Dunster Rd] really early because I know it fills up really quickly now,” Zimmerman said. “The new situation is going to be really packed, and there will be many people who won’t be able to park.”

Zimmerman currently alternates between driving and taking the train, and plans on relying fully on the train once the new plan is in effect. 

Mutha, who has been parking on Dunster Road since receiving her license earlier in the school year, will also have to change her parking plans.

“I live 10 miles away from school, and it takes over 45 minutes to get to school in the mornings,” Mutha said. “Since street parking spots will be even more limited, I will most likely just have my parents drop me off.”

Binyam Tsegai ‘26, who is in the process of getting his learner’s permit, says that the new parking plan won’t affect his intention to get a license. 

“The situation is going to be really bad, but I am determined to get that license,” Tsegai said, “

Teachers have experimented with new ways of getting to school in the morning. History Teacher David Cutler, who is assigned to park at the satellite location across Rt. 9, arrives to campus with his Segway Ninebot scooter.

“I am really appreciative of the bus, which provides excellent transportation from the satellite parking area,” Cutler said. “However, as a father of a six-year-old who sometimes gets sick and when the bus isn’t operating, I wanted even greater flexibility to get to my car.”

Editors’ note: This is the first of a two-part series on new pick-up, drop-off, and parking procedures on campus. The next and final piece will focus on whether the new system seems to be working.

Correction: Due to an editing error, Julian Hickman’s name was spelled incorrectly. We regret the error, which was fixed Wednesday, April 2 at 11:13 a.m.