Summit High School’s 2023-24 school year introduces a new class schedule for the students leading to an even more chaotic parking situation than last year—as new drivers aren’t allowed parking permits.
Whether it’s early morning before school, after lunch and returning to school or trying to escape school and go home after a long day, the Summit parking lot is always disrupting schedules and attendance.
Some school admin may advise students to try to leave their house earlier or not leave campus during lunch to avoid being tardy, but that is not the reality for most upperclassmen and new drivers.
The new parking policy for the 2023-24 school year is enforcing students who drive to school to fill out a parking application and submit for permission from the school. The pass will be available from only a campus monitor on Sept. 27. These passes are required to be hung on the car’s rear view mirror. Although this new permit might make students happier than last year’s $25 fee—as they do not have to pay for it— it has sparked a feud with sophomores who are unable to get a hold of a parking permits the first semester of the year.
Sophomore Audrey Faherty is going to be a new driver at Summit in the fall.
“I am really disappointed about not being able to park inside the lot. It’s just so much more work finding a place off campus, and having to walk to school and be late,” Faherty said.
Everyone was once in Audrey’s position of being a new driver. The excitement of first getting a license and just wanting to drive friends around—unfortunately, this new policy it makes it hard for new drivers to truly experience driving themselves to school.
Another new twist that the Bend-La Pine school district administrators have implemented this year is changing the student’s off period. In previous years, students had their seventh period off at the end of the day. This was an advantage to students who had after school activities like sports, clubs, and jobs. Although, with the new change–going to school later in the day–many parents are affected with having to adjust their work schedule to drop off their kids later. This causes more mayhem in the parking lot leading to more traffic, and less parking spaces.
Aside from younger students being unable to park on campus, there is just another problem this new permit is fueling. Parking off campus causes students to resort to parking in nearby business building parking lots, in neighborhoods, and other public places like Discovery Park. When students park in places that are for public use or private businesses, they are at risk of being towed. Parking in these locations has caused many annoyed businesses to complain to Summit staff. It doesn’t help that the students are parking farther away, making it difficult to make it to school on time or safely.
There are also several regulations that are stated in the parking permit application. If students violate any of the regulations with or without a parking permit, they can receive consequences like being booted, revoked parking privileges and fined a maximum of sixty five dollars. These regulations are for speeding over 10 miles an hour, parking in visiting spaces, parking on the grass, blocking a fire lane, and loitering. Which some may argue are reasonable— like the speed limit— some kids have to park on the grass or make their own parking spot only because they will be late to class.
Summit’s Vice Principal Mary Thomas revealed the reason for parking passes this year.
“It all comes down to safety. We want to know who is parking on campus at all times of the school day,” said Thomas.
This leaves students questioning what it’s going to look like going forward into the school year with these parking passes. There are many flaws with summits parking lots and the steady growing school population. Are there even enough spots to suffice for all students who drive themselves?
