Aug. 26. With the 2025-26 school year underway this week in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, motorists are facing increased morning and afternoon traffic throughout Cornelius.

Officials with Hough High, Bailey Middle and J.V. Washam Elementary said that while traffic flow is always difficult during the first week of school, they have not noticed any significant difference from prior years.

Cornelius Elementary deferred questions to CMS officials, who did not return a call seeking comment.

Bottlenecks are typical during morning and afternoon bell hours on Bailey Road, Washam Potts Road and Catawba Avenue, but traffic generally improves after the first week as parents and bus drivers adjust schedules or opt for bus transportation.

Bailey’s buses were delayed, as usual, but parents said drop-off lines ran smoothly despite the addition of hundreds of new students who previously attended Davidson K-8. A few buses still arrived late Tuesday, but all had dropped off students by 9:20 a.m.

A new sidewalk on the north side of Bailey Road, installed this summer, has made arrival safer for Hough students who park in private lots north of campus. In prior years, many parked and jaywalked across traffic; now they can use the sidewalk and crosswalk with assistance from Cornelius police officers.

Parents say the key to avoiding traffic is to arrive either early or just before the bell. The morning bell at Hough is 7:15 a.m., Bailey’s is 9:15 a.m., and elementary schools start at 7:45 a.m.

“The first two days have been easy, but we go early,” said Allen Bollinger, who has two students at Hough. “We were there a little before 6:30 a.m., and there was no line at all.”