AHS Takes Drastic Measures to Solve Traffic PTSD

Freshman Millie Everhart forlornly waits outside the new shrink’s office hoping for encouragement after the traumatic experience of trying to leave the parking lot.

Laura Wolf

Freshman Millie Everhart forlornly waits outside the new shrink’s office hoping for encouragement after the traumatic experience of trying to leave the parking lot.

At 3:20 P.M. everyday hoards of teenagers can be seen sprinting from AHS in order to be the first ones to vacate the campus and avoid the mile long line of cars trying to leave. After various incidents of students crashing into structures out of traffic frustration, the administration has hired a psychiatrist. The after school traffic has been a reoccurring issue that administration is striving to resolve through a new plan for a four lane Highway.

“We’ve never seen anything like this before. On a regular basis I see cars purposely drive into each other through frustration after hours of waiting to leave. Maybe the real question is how we can keep our student’s mental stability strong enough to outwait afterschool traffic,” Vice Principal, Mark Grice said.

In the last month, the front doors to the middle school have had to be replaced five times as some students have resorted to crashing through anything that might have a possible escape. As a result AHS has hired a full-time therapist to aid students suffering from PTSD after trying to leave the parking lot.

“After colliding through the doors of the Middle School last March and finding myself in the lobby and no closer to an exit, I decided it was time I took a trip to the psychiatrist. The rehab has actually been very relaxing and helped me cope with the repressed emotions that come out as I wait in line to leave after school. What is even crazier is that I’ve actually been convinced by my counselor to take the bus three times this month,” sophomore Olivia Smith said.

Incidents of students driving through the middle school front doors severely worries the administration. As replacing the doors and hiring a shrink is costly, the board is looking for a proactive and permanent solution.

The main resolution discussed would be to create a four-lane highway connecting the middle school parking lot to the elementary school playground that would filter into the main road of traffic coming from the direction of Highlands.

“Although some people oppose the idea of destroying the elementary school playground, the administration and I really don’t see the big deal. Students don’t need to go outside if they can see the outdoors from the window of a gym, where recess would be held instead,” AHS principal Kim Martin said.

To prevent any further damage, the administration will need to put their plan into action now.

“I am hoping the administration solves the issue as soon as possible so that by the time I get my license, I won’t follow in my sister’s footsteps and have to make biweekly visits to the shrink,” freshman Jenny Smith said.