Heavy school traffic expected Friday off Jam Lane

City thoroughfares around Biloxi’s public schools are expected to be crowded with parents, students and buses Friday morning, for the first day of school, especially off Popp’s Ferry Road, where the new Biloxi Junior High School will be opening a stone’s throw from Biloxi High School.

Biloxi Police will have extra patrols along Popp’s Ferry and Cedar Lake roads to help keep traffic moving safely.

School leaders say as many as 1,100 seventh and eighth-graders are expected to attend classes in the new, state-of-the-art 195,000 square-foot junior high school, on Jam Lane directly west of the high school where about 1,600 high school students are registered.

With more 2,500 students, facility and staff members driving on campus, Biloxi Public School leaders have developed traffic plans to help traffic move safely and efficiently.

High school motorists should enter and exit the high school campus off Richard Drive, to the left of the school, while school while buses will enter and exit to the right.

Meanwhile at the junior high school, which is to the west on Jam Lane, all drivers will enter and exit at the junior high campus main entrance. 

Students, parents and faculty also will have changes at the former junior high school on Father Ryan Avenue, where an upper elementary school will host about 1,000 fifth and sixth-graders.

When all school doors open on Friday, leaders expect to exceed pre-Katrina enrollment, which was 6,100 students.
See images of the new junior high 
See the junior high, high school traffic plans 
Visit the Biloxi Public Schools website

 

News and notes

City council meeting:  City leaders gathered for two meetings on Tuesday, a 4:30 p.m. budget workshop which focused on the cost of the municipal medical benefits plan; and a regularly scheduled 6 p.m. meeting where council members approved railroad crossings preliminary design work and improvements to the area near the Lighthouse Pier.  To see images from the meetings, click here

Football/cheer registration:  The city Parks & Recreation Department will hold registration for its football and cheerleading leagues on Saturday, Aug. 5 and Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center.  For more information and to see the flyer, click here