Arrival/Drop-Off Procedures

Please consider walking, biking, or scooting to and from school this year! As a neighborhood school, we encourage families to travel to campus on foot or wheels whenever possible. It is a great way to ease congestion and connect with friends and neighbors along the way.

Before-School Childcare

Families enrolled in before-school childcare may access the campus beginning at 7:00 a.m. Before-school childcare is located in the preschool building. Enrolled families will receive a key card to use at the reader outside the preschool fence. Students should be signed in directly with childcare staff.

Breakfast Arrival

Students eating breakfast may enter through the Arizona Gate from 8:00–8:15 a.m. and go directly to the cafeteria. Please do not drop off students before 8:00 a.m. unless they are enrolled in before-school childcare, as the campus is not yet open and supervision is unavailable.

Regular Arrival

Students arriving for the regular school day will use the following entrances:

• TK/K walkers, bikers, and scooters: Enter through the PreK/TK/K Gate next to the main office and proceed to the Kindergarten Yard.
• Grades 1–5 walkers, bikers, and scooters: Enter through the Arizona Gate and proceed to the Big Yard.
• TK–5 students arriving by car: Use the Chelsea Avenue Drop-Off Lane. Staff members will help students exit their vehicles and direct them to the appropriate yard.
• PreK students: Enter through the PreK/TK/K Gate at 8:45 or 9:00 a.m. Parents or caregivers accompany students to their classrooms.

Families using the Chelsea Drop-Off Lane must remain in their vehicles, follow staff directions, and stay in a single-file line.

Arrival gates are for student entry only, except for PreK families accompanying students to their classrooms. Families should say farewell outside the gate, and students will enter campus independently.

There is no playground play before school. This is for students’ safety. Students go directly to the Kindergarten Yard or Big Yard and wait in their designated class line-up area for their teacher.

McKinley staff members supervise the campus before school. Morning campus and gate monitors include instructional assistants, paraeducators, campus monitors, teachers, and administrators who also work on campus during regular school hours.

Gates close promptly at 8:30 a.m., when instruction begins. Students arriving after 8:30 a.m. must enter through the main office and receive a tardy slip. The office entrance is otherwise reserved for visitors, volunteers, and staff.

Adults entering campus for volunteering, parent-teacher conferences, meetings, or school events must follow the SMMUSD Visitor Policy.

Alternate morning procedures may be used for special events or schoolwide activities, such as the first day of school, Jog-a-thon, Sing-Along, and fifth-grade culmination. The school will provide families with information in advance when procedures change.

Dismissal/Pick-Up Procedures

McKinley uses staggered dismissal times to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow, and support student safety.

Schedule	PreK	TK/K	Grades 1–2	Grades 3–5
Regular Days	11:45 a.m. or 12:00 p.m.	1:35 p.m.	2:45 p.m.	3:00 p.m.
Wednesdays	11:45 a.m. or 12:00 p.m.	1:35 p.m.	1:35 p.m.	1:35 p.m.
Minimum Days	11:45 a.m. or 12:00 p.m.	12:30 p.m.	1:35 p.m.	1:35 p.m.

The first two days of school, August 20 and 21, are minimum days. Please arrange to pick up your children on time.

Walkers, Bikers, and Scooters

Students who walk, bike, or scoot home will exit through the following gates:

• TK and Kindergarten: PreK/TK/K Gate next to the main office
• Grades 1–5: Arizona Gate

Teachers escort students to their assigned dismissal areas, where staff members monitor dismissal and confirm the adult receiving each child. Preschool students must be signed out directly by a parent or authorized adult.

Families may authorize their child to walk or bike home independently through Aeries Data Confirmation. Students may leave independently only when this permission is on file.

Pick-Up Lane

Students being picked up by car will use the designated Pick-Up Lane on Chelsea Avenue. Students wait in supervised areas until their vehicles arrive. Drivers must remain in their vehicles, stay in a single-file line, and follow staff directions. There is no drive-through pick-up on Arizona Avenue.

After-School Childcare

Students remaining on campus after dismissal must be enrolled in one of the following after-school programs:

1. TK/Kindergarten: School Age Programs—Preschool Building
2. Grades 1–2: Right At School—Room 209
3. Grades 3–5: CREST—Room 210
4. Boys & Girls Club: Playground

Enrolled students report directly to their assigned programs at dismissal; TK and kindergarten students are picked up by program staff. Once students are signed in, the program is responsible for their supervision, safety, and activities. Questions or concerns about after-school programming should be directed to the appropriate provider, as these programs operate separately from the school.

Students who are not enrolled in an after-school program may not remain on campus or play on the playground after dismissal, even when accompanied by an adult. Families may use neighborhood parks after school, and the school playground is open to the public on weekends