Three students were left unsure of where to park on Falcon Day. Before guest speakers arrived, the only available places were in the accessible and staff parking sections, and administration had to redirect students to the staff parking strip, as the designated student section was filled.
Regular parking passes are $25 and all three of these students have purchased a pass. One of the students who struggled to find a spot, Chloe Sorenson, said she felt upset that there was nowhere left in student parking, considering she has a pass.
“What would have happened if there were no spots left in the staff area?” Chloe Sorenson, a student forced to park on the staff strip, said. “It’s frustrating considering I’ve had my parking spot all year. I know part of the issue is people parking without a pass”
The parking lot has been almost completely filled by 8:50 in recent weeks. Students arriving close to the first block have found difficulty arriving to their class on time because of time spent looking for a spot.
“I know to a certain degree, it’s my own responsibility,” Sorenson said. “But it’s concerning when three students don’t know where to park.”
According to Assistant Principal Mr. Horton, an initial 52 spots were set aside for students, and the school has exceeded their parking permit count for the year with 58 passes. However, there are a total of 79 parking spots on the campus, some of which the administration is allowing students to use.
“Our main goal is to not turn anyone away for parking,” Horton said. “We understand how important transportation is for this campus. We are starting to get weary of it, and if we get to that point, we can look at other options.”
The administration is handling the situation with an assumption there will be three to four students absent every day in accordance to attendance trends, and as of now, no student has been unable to park. The new campus is being built for a capacity of 500 students, meaning there should be two to three times the amount of spots as the current lot, according to Horton.
