As the school year begins, the rush to find parking begins as well.
Students hope to avoid the morning traffic by getting the spots closest to the school. Upperclassmen who have their licenses can get parking spots either at Wootton, Rockshire, or Frost. Parking near a friend’s house is also a possibility.
The hustle to get parking spots at all these locations has already began for seniors and as more and more juniors get their licenses, they will also scramble to figure out a spot to park, particularly in the spring.
Students must try to get permits to park in the spots remaining in the lot. The parking lot at the shopping center in Rockshire is a short walk from school that students will make on their way to and from school. The leftover seniors park at the 75 spots in the Rockshire lot because there are only 193 student spots in the Wootton lot. Ten of the spots in the Wootton lot belong to players of sports teams designated by the coaches of that team. The parking is coordinated by Cunningham and Mamana. “We are currently trying to get more spots for student use in the Rockshire lot,” Cunningham said.
After three years of waiting their turn, the seniors are allowed to apply for a spot in the Wootton lot. There was a raffle for spots in the Wootton lot and those who were not selected are guaranteed to get a spot at Rockshire. However, not every senior is eligible to get a parking spot. To be eligible for a spot in the Wootton or Rockshire parking lots, there are a couple requirements that students must be able to meet. They must have a GPA over 2.0 and can not have any school obligations, such as unreturned textbooks. There are also extra spots available for sports teams captains in the Wootton lot. Senior Max Museles enjoys the luxury of being able to park in the Wootton parking lot. “Parking at Wootton is so much better than parking at Rockshire because I can skrt to school and get to my class quickly without a long walk to the school,” Museles said.
Not all juniors are able to get a spot at Rockshire due to priority for seniors. A popular option for juniors to park is at Frost in the lower lot. The first students who apply for spots are the students that are selected for the spots. During the summer,, students must pick up their parking permits at Frost if they want to get the spot. Students like junior Ben Stoller have the permit for Frost parking and get to avoid the traffic every morning. “Parking at Frost is great because I get to avoid the traffic on Wootton Parkway so I can leave my house a little later each morning,” Stoller said.

Justin Fishman

Opinion Editor