Lakeside School

Updated Sept. 23: The main entry driveway to the Upper School is scheduled to be fully open sometime during the week of Oct. 6 (dependent on continued dry weather). This, combined with the progression of work on 1st Avenue, means that we will switch back to a “normal” pickup and drop-off flow at the Upper School in early October: cars driving on the right-hand side of the driveway, and exiting the main driveway either north and south (not exiting through the senior lot). Please pay careful attention to people directing traffic. We will be assessing traffic flow and will make adjustments as needed.

Work is continuing along 1st Avenue, including some utility trenching. Lakeside community safety staff will continue to direct students in the morning. Please remind everyone in your family to drive and bike slowly, be patient, keep their eyes open, and be gracious to everyone who is working on these projects.

Lakeside’s pickup and drop-off guidelines help keep students safe, reduce Lakeside’s impact on our neighborhood, and make the best use of our available facilities. Please share these guidelines with any person who drives your students, including older students.

In general, we ask that you follow these laws and common-sense rules to help keep students safe and streamline the pickup/drop-off for parents and guardians.

• Obey the 20-mph speed limit when children are present — especially before and after school. These are our kids, and we don’t want any accidents! 
• Please drive slowly — no faster than 5 mph — in the loops.
• In the loops, pull close to the curb so that vehicles can pass. If the car ahead of you exits before your student has arrived, please pull forward so others can enter the loop.
• Do not let your car idle for long periods while in a loop.
• Park legally, and do not block driveways. Seattle’s municipal code states that there is no parking within five feet of a driveway, mailbox, or alley. This is an everyday contribution you can make to Lakeside’s efforts to be a good neighbor in our larger community; thank you for helping us foster positive relationships with our neighborhood!
• Do not park or drop off in the designated bus zone at the Middle School (along NE 135th St.) before or after school. 

This year, there are two major projects affecting pickup and drop-off: the City of Shoreline’s 145th Street Corridor Project, and street improvements on 1st Avenue between 140th and 145th. Please read the following information closely. 

145th closure

Updated Sept. 25: The City of Shoreline has reopened N 145th Street between 1st and 5th Avenues NE. During the recent closures, crews installed a new roundabout on the west end of the I-5 overpass. Travelers are now using the new roundabout in a temporary single-lane configuration. The east side of the overpass will remain signalized through the end of 2025 before another roundabout is constructed. Work will continue in the area, so please drive carefully and follow posted signs. We highly recommend you review the City of Shoreline’s webpage about this project (including maps of the area). The webpage is updated regularly. 

Middle School pickup and dropoff 

• Approach Lakeside Middle School on 1st Ave NE (read below for information about 1st Avenue). Turn onto NE 135th to access the 7th/8th-grade drop-off loop or NE 137th St. to access the 5th/6th-grade drop-off loop. 
• Students in 5th and 6th grades should use the loop on NE 137th St., in front of the main office. Students in 7th and 8th grades should use the loop next to the field, accessed from NE 135th St. View the graphic below for details.
  • When accessing the 5th and 6th-grade drop-off loop, families should make a turn onto NE 137th St from 1st Ave NE only, then proceed eastbound and turn right into the Middle School drop-off loop. Please drop off or pick up along the inner sidewalk. When leaving the parking lot, turn right only and leave via 3rd Ave NE. Please do not use NE 135th and 137th as a way to get back on 1st Ave NE.
  • When accessing the 7th and 8th-grade drop-off loop, families should approach the parking lot located on NE 135th St from 1st Ave NE. Move all the way into the roundabout and do not leave your car. Upon exiting the parking lot, turn right only toward 1st Ave NE. Please do not travel east on 135th St when leaving.
  • Middle School families with students in multiple grades may decide with their students which pickup/drop-off loop to use.
• Stay in your vehicle when in a loop. If you need to exit the vehicle, park it in a parking stall or a legal on-street parking space.
• Do not use adjacent streets to pick up or drop off students.

For families that want to drop off students earlier in the morning, the Middle School building is open at 7:30 a.m. with the kitchen offering hot and cold breakfast items. After school study hall in the library runs until 6 p.m. 

Upper School pickup and drop-off 

Note: See update for early October above. The improvements to 1st Avenue will significantly impact pickup and drop-off at the Upper School for the next few months. Something different is happening each day, so please drive slowly, be patient, keep your eyes open, and be gracious to everyone who is working on these projects. Please review the maps below. 

Morning drop-off: 

• Both lanes (southbound and northbound) of 1st Avenue will be open until 9 a.m.
• Drivers can enter the main driveway (leading to the roundabout), coming from either direction. Be aware that for the next few weeks, the entrance to the driveway will be one-lane only.
• For safety and traffic flow reasons, all vehicles will be directed around the front circle in the opposite direction. This means drivers won't be able to turn right into the senior lot when entering through the main entrance during drop-offs and pick-ups. 
• As you approach the circle, stay to the left side of the road. Follow the circle around, keeping left, and then make a left turn into the senior lot to park in that lot or exit campus. Please see the map below. 
• Do not drop off in the visitor parking lot or the east lot behind the library. Please do not idle or wait in these lots, as this impedes traffic flow. 

Afternoon pickup: 

• 1st Avenue, between 140th and 145th, will only have one lane open until 4 p.m. There will be alternating traffic, directed by flaggers. If you can, consider picking up your student after 4 p.m. For now, the following restrictions on turning only apply until 4 p.m.; we will assess how things go. 
• Drivers can enter the main driveway (leading to the roundabout), coming from either direction. Be aware that for the next few weeks, the entrance to the driveway will be one-lane only. 
• For safety and traffic flow reasons, all vehicles will be directed around the front circle in the opposite direction. This means drivers won't be able to turn right into the senior lot when entering through the main entrance during drop-offs and pick-ups. 
• As you approach the circle, stay to the left side of the road. Follow the circle around, keeping left, and then make a left turn into the senior lot to park in that lot or exit campus. Please see the map below. 
• When picking up students in the roundabout, please remember to pull forward in the circle and over to the curb, so that other cars can pass if needed.

Other options for getting to campus 

We strongly encourage all families to consider alternatives to driving your student alone to school, including:

• Carpool. To find families living near you, sign in to Veracross, select “Online Directories” in the Portal Links section, choose the “Households” tab, and click on “Nearby Student Households.”
• Sign up for our custom bus program. There may be some spaces available on this year’s routes; contact info@lakesideschool.site or 206-440-2941. Sign-up for the 2026-2027 academic year occurs in the spring.
• Light rail. The Shoreline South/148th Street Link light rail station is a great way to travel to Lakeside! Review the light rail schedule here. Lakeside offers a transfer service between the Shoreline S / 148th St light rail station and both the Middle School and Upper School campuses. In order to use the free transfer service, students must register with the school. If your family would like to learn more about this service, don't hesitate to contact the business office at info@lakesideschool.site. 
• Bike. Bike racks are available at both campuses. Some of our students bike throughout the year!

Thank you for reading this detailed message and discussing it with your student. In the long term, these transportation and road projects will greatly benefit our community though in the short term, they’ll require all of our patience and flexibility. 

Travel safe and go Lions!