With the construction of the new performing arts center, teachers have been forced to relocate to the student parking lot, limiting the number of parking spaces for students. With the limited parking spaces and extra construction, the number of students without a parking permit unfairly using the lot has become a much more pressing issue and is insufficiently regulated. A simple solution to this problem is to assign parking space numbers to specific parking permits so students will have guaranteed parking spots when they buy their permit.
According to bank technician Jim Hollenback, the main parking lot that people use right now has just over 290 parking spaces. Out of this number, 138 are reserved for staff, 8 for handicapped individuals, and 145 for students. There are only 145 spaces allotted for students. The solution to this problem that the school has presented is 25-35 overflow spots in the Marshall Pomeroy Elementary School parking lot, but it is a very tight cut.
Including the overflow parking, there is exactly enough parking for students who have bought a parking permit. Many times, students who do have permits don’t display their parking permits and there is no proper regulation of making sure that all the students parking in the lot all have permits. Some students have even gone multiple years without paying for a permit, yet they have not been penalized. On the other hand, some students who have paid for a parking permit have to park on the street near the school or in other places near school since there aren’t enough spaces in the actual parking lot.
If there is a system in place to make sure that the students using the parking lot actually have a permit, it would force students to abide by the parking permit rule. Beyond non permitted students using parking spaces, even if all these students bought permits, the school would not be able to fit all the students in the parking lot.
Assigning numbers to parking spots would make it efficient for students to find a parking spot because they would not have to drive around hunting for a parking spot. Students would be guaranteed a parking spot with the addition of numbered parking spots per permit without having to worry about not having a space to park when they arrive.
The parking lot is a privilege for students, and there must be regulation on who is allowed and not allowed to park in it. With already limited spaces, students who are currently using the parking lot without paying for a permit should be penalized.