Getting to/ from School Safely

For the safety of our children, parking and traffic procedures have been instituted for the following streets that neighbor the Oak Knoll School campus: White Oak Drive, Oak Avenue, and Oak Knoll Lane. The School Administration and the PTO have been active in communicating these policies to parents and children. Please review the map and do not hesitate to contact the Oak Knoll School office should you have questions regarding these policies.

We encourage all families to walk or bike to school for a number of reasons. 

Below are the rules for all forms of transportation. Please take the time to read about your desired method of transportation in order to increase the safety of all students on and around our campus.  The Menlo Park Police Department will enforce the following rules.

Please remember that these rules are in place for the safety of all families, including your own.  

Driving

Everyone agrees that encouraging more kids to bike and walk to school is a good thing, and one of the best ways to do this is to make sure that the streets around Oak Knoll School feel safe for bikers and walkers.  Whenever you drive (whether to Oak Knoll School or anywhere else, for that matter) please OBEY ALL TRAFFIC LAWS.

  • Don’t speed – most of the streets in Menlo Park have a 25 mph speed limit.  Don’t just assume that you’re driving within the speed limit—look at your speedometer.

  • Put away your electronic devices – studies have shown that talking on a cell phone while driving—whether the phone is hand-held or hands-free—is equivalent to driving while legally drunk.

  • Please be extra cautious at crosswalks and let all pedestrians cross before you drive through.

  • All drivers are asked to obey the crossing guards at the school crosswalk.

  • Do not drop-off or pick-up children at the intersection of White Oak Drive and Oak Knoll Lane, Oak Avenue and Oak Knoll Lane, or at the cross-walk on Oak Knoll Lane.

  • Don’t park on the sidewalks – parents and kids walking to Oak Knoll shouldn’t have to walk in the street just to get around your vehicle.

  • Treat bicyclists like other drivers – bicycles have the same rights on the road, and are also required to follow most of the same laws, as car drivers.  Don’t squeeze past a bicycle on a narrow roadway if there isn’t room to pass safely—slow down and wait behind the cyclist until there is a safe opportunity to pass.  Give children on bikes extra room—they are not as predictable as adults and may swerve out into the road unexpectedly.

Car Line

Car Line Map

  • To enter the Drop-off/Pick-up queue, you must turn onto Oak Knoll Lane from Oakdell Drive. You may NOT enter the carpool queue from White Oak Avenue, Oak Avenue, or by turning left into the parking lot on Oak Knoll Lane.  When there is a back-up on Oakdell Drive, please be courteous and alternate cars turning onto Oak Knoll Lane.

  • NO LEFT TURN is allowed from 7:30 am to 8:30 am from White Oak Drive onto Oak Knoll Lane. During this time, it will be illegal to merge into the drop-off line from this intersection.

  • Drop off prior to 8:00 a.m. so your child can get across campus on time. Please allow extra time for increased traffic on rainy days.

  • Drivers may not leave their cars to assist exiting children. Large items (music instruments) may be unloaded in front of the multi-purpose building.

  • Pick-up time is 2:45 p.m on M, T, W, F and 1:15 p.m. on Thursdays for K through 3rd grades.  Pick-up time is 2:55 p.m. on M, T, W, F and 1:25 p.m. on Thursdays for 4th-5th grades.  Please pick up at designated time. 

  • You must turn RIGHT to exit the school parking lot/drop-off pick-up line.

Parking

No Parking Map

  • ALWAYS check for bikers and pedestrians before opening your car door.

  • DO NOT park or leave your car where it will block traffic such as at an intersection, a crosswalk (marked or unmarked) or within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. You may be cited by the police.

  • ONLY park facing the same direction as the traffic. You may be cited for parking your car facing the opposite direction of traffic.

  • When parking on any of the streets surrounding the school, PLEASE respect the residents and show consideration for pedestrians and bikers by parking your car so that it straddles the gutter leaving room for foot traffic to pass safely on the right.

  • NO PARKING OR STOPPING from 7:30 to 8:30am and from 1:00 to 3:30pm ANYWHERE along Oak Knoll Lane between Oak Drive and White Oak Drive streets, and on the north side of White Oak Drive between Oak Knoll Lane and Oakfield Drive.

  • NO PARKING OR STOPPING from 7:30 to 8:30am ANYWHERE along the north side of Oak between Oak Knoll Lane and Lemon Drive.

  • There are a limited number of visitor parking spaces in the school parking lot. Please do not park in reserved spaces.

Bicycles, Skateboards, and Scooters

  • Please review some safety guidelines on our Bicycle Safety Page

  • Parents decide when to allow their children to bike to school; however, it's recommended that children wait until they are in 3rd grade. Children should obey all street traffic regulations and follow the Bike Safety Route to school. 

  • We ask that students begin walking their bicycles with the pedestrians from the corner of White Oak Drive and Oak Knoll Lane. Bike riding is not permitted in the school hallways at any time. All bicycles must be licensed and locked while at school.

  • Always pass other bikers, pedestrians, and parked cars on the LEFT.  

  • Children who violate the school rules for approaching and leaving the school grounds may have their bike privileges revoked. Bike safety rules also apply to scooters and rollerblades.  Students must be familiar with and follow these rules: 

    • Always wear a helmet.

    • Always give hand signals to make a turn.

    • Always stop at stop signs.

    • Always walk your bike in crosswalks and on sidewalks.

Walking

  • Everyone must use the crosswalk in front of the school to cross Oak Knoll Lane. There is no pedestrian access to the school through the parking lot.

  • It is very unsafe to cross in front of the school driveway on foot during drop-off and pick-up times.

  • Parents should thoroughly instruct their children which routes to follow. Careful attention should be given to crosswalk safety.

1895 Oak Knoll Lane, Menlo Park, California  94025 (650) 854-4433
webmaster@oakknollschool.com