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Board hears two options to ease McFall Elementary traffic; long-term bus-loop expansion estimated at $430,000
Summary
District staff presented two options to address afternoon congestion at McFall Elementary: a $430,000 north-loop expansion (administration recommends) and a lower-cost consolidation of parent pickup to the south that would lengthen wait times and shift traffic into neighborhoods. Board asked administration to return with more detail in June.
Thornapple Kellogg School District leaders told the school board on May 11 that they have identified two feasible ways to address chronic congestion and safety risks during McFall Elementary pick-up and drop-off.
Superintendent Pouch said Option A — extending the north-side loop to create a dedicated front bus loop and move up to 17–19 buses out of the parent loop — would provide a long-term fix. "This option provides a long term solution that enhances student safety while also improving efficiency and overall customer service and experiences for our families," Pouch said. The administration estimated the project at about $430,000, of which $300,000 has already been earmarked in this year’s capital improvement funds; the remaining roughly $130,000 would come from next year’s capital allocation.
Option B would keep the existing bus loop and consolidate all parent pickup to the south side of the building. Pouch warned that option could "cause longer wait times for our families" and might push congestion into adjacent neighborhoods; he said the district could not predict how far back queues might reach without further study.
Board members pressed administration for technical details and voiced a preference for addressing safety. One board member said the district already had a recent bus accident and that the charted safety risks made the larger investment compelling. Another member asked whether the transportation director had weighed in; Pouch said the transportation director had been part of the site reviews and had confirmed that Option A could be made to work and that buses could be staged and turned safely.
Board members asked administration to bring back additional analyses and, if appropriate, refined drawings and cost alternatives at the June meeting. Pouch said architects from GMB Architects and the district’s transportation team had already run measurements and that construction could be completed as soon as this fall if the board approved and permitting proceeded, though some members cautioned a fall construction window could be disruptive.
Next steps: the board signaled preliminary support for further study of Option A and asked administration to report back at the June meeting with refined cost, staging, and operational details.
