Effective Thursday, Aug. 27, traffic patterns at both the Mars Area Elementary School and Mars Area Primary Center campuses will return to normal as crews have finished paving key roadways and parking areas.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AM DROP-OFF PROCEDURES — All parents/guardians, who are dropping off students prior to school (8:35 to 8:55 a.m.), must enter the Mars Area Elementary School campus by way of the Doc’s Way access road. After dropping off students at the designated Drop-Off Area in the rear of the building, all vehicles must continue straight on Doc’s Way up the hill to the Primary Center campus to exit via Brickyard Road. (Note: The Doc’s Way Gate near LEFCON Field will close at 9 a.m.)

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DROP-OFF/PICK-UP PROCEDURES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY — Parents/guardians, who are picking up students during the school day (9 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.) will be required to access the school via Brickyard Road. The Doc’s Way Gate near LEFCON Field will be CLOSED during the school day, with the exception of during midday kindergarten pick-up/drop off (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), when vehicles will be queuing on the roadway.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PM PICK-UP PROCEDURES — Parents/guardians, who are picking up students at the end of the school day (3:20 p.m.), will access Mars Area Elementary School via the Little Dipper access road.

Vehicles will be asked to stack in two lanes in the Administration Office parking lot until directed by District personnel to continue down the Little Dipper. At the bottom of the hill, all vehicles will be directed continue straight and line up in three (3) lanes in front of the school’s main entrance to pick up students.

Vehicles will then have the option to either

1. 1. Turn left and exit the campus via Doc’s Way to Three Degree Road OR
   2. Turn right, pass the Primary Center and exit the campus past by way of Brickyard Road.
2.  
3. 

PRIMARY CENTER DROP-OFF/PICK-UP PROCEDURES — All procedures for morning drop-off (8:35 to 9 a.m.) and afternoon student pick-up (3:25 p.m.) will remain the same with parents/guardians dropping off/picking up students at the school’s Cafeteria Entrance, located behind the District’s Administration Office.

PRIMARY CENTER MIDDAY KINDERGARTEN PICK-UP/DROP-OFF PROCEDURES — Midday AM Kindergarten pick-up (11:40 to 11:55 a.m.) and PM Kindergarten drop-off (12:30 to 12:45 p.m.) will remain at the Mars Area Primary Center’s main entrance.

All parents/guardians, who are picking up/dropping off kindergarten students at Mars Area Primary Center are asked to enter the campus via the Doc’s Way access road by way of Three Degree Road. The Doc’s Way Gate near LEFCON Field, which will be closed after morning arrival (9 a.m.), will reopen from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for this purpose. All vehicles will proceed along Doc’s Way past Mars Area Elementary School and up the hill to Mars Area Primary Center. Please note that no student is permitted to enter/exit a vehicle until that vehicle is at the curb in front of the school. All traffic must then exit the campus via Brickyard Road.

(Note: Vehicles may enter the Primary Center campus via Brickyard Road; however, parents/guardians will need to travel along Doc’s Way to LEFCON Field to turn around and join the queue going in the opposite direction. No vehicles will be permitted to enter the queue from the Mars Area Elementary School or Mars Area Primary Center parking areas.)

Mars Area School District appreciates your patience and cooperation as construction crews completed the necessary paving to prepare our parking lots and roadways for the 2026-2027 School Year. Our District will continue to evaluate school traffic patterns throughout the Mars Area Elementary School Expansion Project. We apologize for any inconvenience.