Prior to the start of the school year, South Windsor High School rising juniors and seniors are able to purchase a parking pass for the entirety of the school year. In past years, the student parking lot was split between the SWHS Annex and the Main Lot.
Prior to the construction of the Annex, the student parking lot resided in the back of the school and spots were numbered. Even with the first come first serve system, students had faith that a spot would be available.
Throughout the school year, students without a parking pass have been parking in spots that require one.
In the past, the school took student parking seriously. Yet since its move to the front of the building, cars have rarely been checked for parking passes.
In an interview with The Prowl, Emma Small, a former South Windsor High School Student, commented, “they used to leave warnings and tickets on people’s cars when they did that. If they kept doing it they would call their parents.”
With the lack of regulation, students who have not purchased the $100 parking pass are able to park without fault.
In retaliation, students with parking passes have now resorted to parking along the side of the parking lot when all of the spots have been taken. This system is unorganized as well as outdated, compared to the rising number of students who are now able to drive to school.
“The parking situation isn’t too good because people pay $100 to park close to the school and people who haven’t paid anything just take out spots. We pay for those spots, why can’t they?” Karina Vazquez, a senior at South Windsor High School stated.
Currently at the start of August, the application for parking passes opens for both rising seniors and juniors. Instead, one solution to the parking problem would be having the application open earlier for rising seniors to ensure a parking pass is available.
Along with parking passes, numbered spots should be given out with each pass. Seniors who turn in an application should be given numbers that are in the first row.
Vazquez commented, “it should be monitored more often and people should have more consequences.”
As the school year progresses through the second semester, the parking situation continues to raise problems among students. With better regulations, students who pay to park will be able to do so without fear of not having a spot.
