Parking Still a Problem At Altamont

Altamont has a parking problem: space is limited. There are 21 "adult" parking spots behind the school and 24 in front of the school. Five of the latter are reserved for guests and the remainder are designated staff parking. Student drivers must park in the lower lot, and it is here that a parking problem has emerged. 

To park on campus, student drivers must register for a parking sticker. Registration is only open as long as there is space available in the lot. Seniors can register first followed by juniors. If there is any room left over, sophomores can register. This year there were not enough spaces for a single sophomore to register. While it is true that most student drivers are juniors and seniors, by the end of the school year more sophomores typically join their ranks. 

The situation is not likely to change anytime soon. Next year, there will be approximately 61 sophomores, 47 juniors, and 54 seniors. If everyone wants to park on campus at some point during the school year, many will be out of luck. It seems likely that sophomores will once again be unable to get parking stickers.

What do student drivers do when they cannot find a space? They get creative. Tenth grader Izzy Sellers explains: “Sophomores have to park at a friend's house down the street and walk the rest of the way to school.”

Frustration about the parking situation runs high. Students who have to park off campus are not happy, and students who park in the lot feel cramped and trapped. The lower lot often serves as an after school hang-out spot for students who naturally want to socialize and blow off steam after a hectic, stressful school day. The congregation of people along with cars parked in every available inch of space, however, makes navigating a quick exit difficult. Students agree that the lot feels “impossible to leave.” This year, the girls’ soccer coach resorted to making practice at the off-campus field 15 minutes later to allow for the time needed to get off the lot. 

The crowded lot presents more than an inconvenience; it is also a hazard. There have been at least three collisions this year. Although students try their best to be careful, some fear it is only a matter of time before a person gets hurt. It is well known that parking lots are dangerous places. Couple this fact with the fact that the lower lot is a hangout place where everyone is a new driver and one can easily imagine it as a place where an accident is just waiting to happen.

Students are not the only ones feeling the parking pinch. Parents are also feeling the pain. After years of chauffeuring children to and fro, many parents report feeling relieved once their child finally reaches diving age. And for parents of a child who lives far away from school, having someone who can drive themselves and siblings to and from school lifts a tremendous burden both time-wise and financially. The relief is dashed when they discover that their newly licensed 16-year-old cannot park on campus. 

What can be done? Some have suggested an app that will notify sophomores and others if there is an available spot on the lot. Others suggest parking on a first-come first-serve basis, an idea unpopular with the upper classes. But there is one thing about which all students agree: the school needs more parking. Not just for them but also for guests and parents, especially during events. 

How and where can the school create new parking space? Some suggest building a parking deck, an expensive proposition. Others say there is plenty of space to expand the lower lot. Students have even had the idea of allowing the students to park at Lily Field and ride a shuttle bus to school.

[LATEST DEVELOPMENTS? SCHOOL POSITION? ARE THERE REALLY 84 SPOTS IN STUDENT LOT? SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.]

To share your thoughts on this or on anything you've seen in The Acta Diurna, to suggest story ideas, or to become a contributor, email MediaJournalismSpring2023@AltamontSchool.org.  

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