Montclair High School (New Jersey) - Grounds

Grounds

The school holds classes in two buildings on opposite sides of Park Street, the Main Building of the high school which is West of Park Street, and the George Inness Annex / Ninth Grade Academy / Freshman Building. Traffic is stopped eight times a day for five minutes between periods to allow students to cross the street. Many fences and a crosswalk have been installed for the purpose of restricting the students' routes to a 1½ meter path. Gym classes are sometimes held at Woodman Field of Essex Park, two blocks away, otherwise in the school's four gymnasiums.

Montclair High School has an outdoor amphitheatre through which a brook flows, which is where graduation ceremonies are held, weather permitting. This Amphitheater is also the site of pep rallies, concerts, and public movie showings. The brook in Toney's Brook, which also goes through Rand Park, also on the campus.

Students grades 10 to 12 at Montclair High school can all leave the campus for lunch and free periods, by an open campus policy. Grade 9 used to be able to as well, but due to an incident caused by students of the class of 2012, Freshmen are no longer able to leave Rand Park for lunch. Trucks park at the school and sell food to students, students eat in Rand Park, which is partially on the school's campus, and eat at local restaurants and shops.

There is frequently a shortage of parking spaces, as teachers and upperclassmen often drive to school. Students often have to park blocks away from school as there is not closer parking. Sometimes residents who live near the school complain about cars being parked over their driveways. Many students and parents complain about the gridlock that occurs on the streets at the beginning and end of the school day, a situation caused by the sudden influx of cars picking up and dropping off students.