Traffic over the years in the Maize community has become “hectic” with the opening of two new intermediate schools and growing class sizes. 

Senior Mackenzie Harding has noticed a difference in traffic over the years she has been at Maize.

“I say the last two years, the traffic has gotten worse,” Harding said. 

This affects the students in many ways like getting to work, going to practices, etc. The congested traffic causes not only frustration but several wrecks. 

“I would say we get about 5 a year from specifically rushing into or out of the parking lot on average,” school resource officer Jamey Dover said.

Contributing to the problem is the release times of neighboring schools. While there is no simple solution, Dover provides feedback on the situation. 

“Part of the problem is the high concentration of schools in a small location¨ Dover said. ¨The schools need to stagger start times more. The buses have had a lot of trouble this year. They are running late due to the intermediate school, which gets them to the middle school later.”

Next Monday the 45th st bridge between Maize and Tyler road will be under construction for an extended period of time. 

Junior Elysia Hollins also feels the pressure of traffic when driving home away from the school.

“I feel like there isn’t enough space for all of the cars to get by in a reasonable time,¨ Hollins said. ¨Since the roads are closing soon, I feel like it’s going to be really backed up.¨