January 13, 2025, marked the first day of instruction on the new Dinuba High School campus. Students returned from a long winter break to attend classes and begin the spring semester. This first day back was filled with anticipation as well as frustration due to crowding and traffic issues.
The new roundabout on Alta and Kamm was congested the first couple of days of school as parents and students adjusted to the new student drop-off zones here. On the first day, some students were late for their first classes, as much as half an hour, due to traffic issues. In the subsequent days, things have calmed down. Parents have been dropping off their kids earlier to beat the traffic, and this has resulted in smoother mornings and fewer tardies.
The crosswalks between the roundabout have stalled cars trying to exit safely. Assistant principal Gloria Valencia shared some advice: “ If [students] could help by waiting a little bit for more students to gather up and cross together.” Having more students cross at once will help the traffic flow better.
Although the first two days were chaotic, Dinuba Unified District stepped in and provided food before and after school hours to help with the congestion by offering an incentive to get to school earlier. The thought is that the more students that can be dropped off early, the fewer cars will be backed up at the entrances later waiting to get in.
This plan is paying off. The school cafeteria is now open at 6:45 AM for a full breakfast for all students. Students are taking advantage of this opportunity, and it is improving the traffic situation.
The food offered for breakfast has significantly improved, serving pancakes, biscuits, bacon, sausage, juice, milk, and more. Assistant principal Adrián Gutiérrez stated, “One, it helps alleviate the congestion in the morning, and two, our students are fed and safe on campus.” This has helped the mornings a lot, but there is still quite a bit of traffic after school. In response, the district is providing dinner food options after school to feed any student who is on campus beyond the final bell due to athletics or other activities.
“We are trying our very best to help our students and our families to get to school on time and safely by providing those meals before and after school,” Gutiérrez states.
The Alta Avenue entrance for drop-off has now been opened, which has helped with the Kamm Avenue entrance traffic. Half of the entire parking lot on Kamm Avenue is full, including the 60 to 75 students with driver’s licenses and the required parking pass. The first row next to Kamm Avenue is where students with parking passes are designated to park. Students who don’t have a parking pass are not allowed to park and face fines if they do. This is to ensure their own safety and everyone else’s. “The other two aisles of parking are for staff and visitors, as well as anyone else who needs to drop things off at the school,” Valencia stated.
However, for all of the chaos from the first week, it appears that routines are being established, and we are beginning to make our new site a home.
