Staggered schedules, extra patrols: Shelby County’s plan to tame first day of school traffic

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - As of Thursday, Aug. 6, Shelby County Schools’ 31 campuses are one week away from opening their doors for the 2026-2027 school year. Officials urged parents and drivers to prepare now for what could be a hectic first day on the roads.

Helena School Resource Officer (SRO) Jeffrey Murphy has seen it every year for nearly a decade.

“First day of school traffic is always the worst of the year,” said Murphy, who is going on his seventh year as an SRO at Helena Intermediate School. “It always tends to bottle neck in certain areas and takes a lot more time to get where you’re going.”

To help manage the congestion, Helena Police said every school will have a dedicated SRO monitoring nearby roads. Police are also bringing in additional officers to assist on the first day, Thursday, Aug. 13.

Shelby County Schools spokesperson Cindy Warner said parents should notify their child’s school immediately to confirm whether their student will be a car rider or bus rider.

“We have to make sure that we know how many students are going to be on buses so we can plan accordingly,” Warner said.

Warner flagged a significant change coming to one part of the county: “In the Oak Mountain community, we have some major changes this year with staggered start and dismissal times, trying to help alleviate some of the traffic congestion in that area,” she told WBRC.

Shelby County Schools operates 31 campuses across seven school zones and each one runs a little differently.

Murphy said the single biggest thing parents can do to help is learn their school’s specific drop-off and pick-up process before the first day.

“Every one of the schools has their own drop off and pick up procedures, and parents being familiar with that process really makes things go smoother,” he said.

Helena Police will post maps and specific directions for each school on their Facebook page ahead of the first day.

Police are reminding drivers of a critical safety rule: if there is no concrete median separating the road, you must come to a complete stop when a school bus extends its stop sign arm.

Murphy also had some safety reminders. He said, “Put the phones down, slow down, and pay attention and keep an extra eye out for kids walking to school.”

Both Shelby County Schools and Helena Police said the theme for the first day of school is one word: patience.

With staggered schedules, new traffic patterns, and thousands of students returning to campuses across the county, officials ask every driver, whether or not you have a child in school, to give themselves extra time and stay alert.

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