by Julia Golden

Throughout the 2014-2015 school year, students without parking permits have parked on campus, leaving limited space for seniors who did purchase their permits. The problem has persisted, and a new set of rules will be in effect for next year.

Beginning in September, Mr. Switek, the senior class advisor, has sold parking permits to seniors. The passes sell for $10 and the money goes back to the senior class to help pay for events like prom and the senior picnic. This year, however, Mr. Switek realized that more seniors have complained that they did not have spots and have seen juniors park in the designated student lot.

Haylee La Tour, senior, finds it unfair that the juniors have been parking in the seniors’ spots. “When I was a junior, I knew that I had to park off of campus. It’s a senior privilege, and juniors should understand that,” she said. The problem is not only the amount of students parking without permits, but the limited number of spaces available in the first place.

Mr. Lottmann said the stadium construction compounded the problem. “The reason why we didn’t have the juniors park in that lot this year was because of the construction. It was not safe.”

The juniors, however, are not the only ones parking on campus without permits. Some seniors feel that they should be able to park on campus since it is their last year, but without a permit, they could face disciplinary action.

Due to the mounting complaints, teachers have walked the parking lot looking for students who do not have permits. Any student without a parking permit receives a warning. If a student continues to park on campus after a warning, he or she will face disciplinary actions. These students are subject to the same disciplinary actions that the juniors may face, and the administration has been handling the matter on a case-by-case basis.

Students should rest assured their cars will not be towed. The school does not have the right to tow a student’s car for not displaying a parking permit. This is because “Permit Parking,” signs are not posted on the school grounds.

However, come September, students will see those signs posted, as they have recently been approved by the Department of Transportation. When the signs are in place, the school will have the authority to tow any student who parks on campus without a permit.

Additionally, Mr. Lottmann intends to number the parking spots outside of the school next year to avoid the problem completely. If the plan goes into effect, parking permits issued to students will correspond with a numbered spot to keep out unpermitted vehicles.

Mr. Switek and Mr. Lottmann both added that, “It is a senior privilege for them to park in the lot.” As a privilege, if abused, the senior class could potentially lose the lot. In the meantime, Mr. Switek advises seniors without parking permits to get them, and for the juniors to stay out of the senior lot.