Parking passes have been a huge topic of discussion this year, and many students have had questions about why the cost has increased and how the cost for parking in a public school is determined. 

“I feel like it’s kind of expensive because you know, as far as transportation to school, and I want to get my education, but I have to pay a pretty hefty amount just to park to get into school,” Junior Aiden Ortmann said. 

Dr. Marvin Byrd, junior class principal, had a different perspective, and claims that the price has been $85 for a few years. 

“Last year, I can remember many seniors and juniors complaining that, you know, they saw numerous sophomores driving to school without paying the $85 for the parking pass,” Byrd said.  “There’s a cost that’s associated with parking outside on campus, and it’s only fair that everyone paid.”

Another big problem with driving to school is the line outside before school starts due to the amount of students driving to and from school. 

“Where’s all the money we pay for parking passes going? There’s always a huge line outside the schools in the morning and students get tardies for things that they can’t control,” junior Luke Amezuca said. “Either the school should excuse students for tardies caused because of the line or the school should use our money to make a new entrance so we can get to school on time and get our education.”

Byrd believes that students would just need to get to school earlier or if they start to see a trend in certain students coming to school late, they’ll be dealing with consequences.

“As far as I know, there are no plans to build another entrance. I know it’s not an answer that students will want to hear, but it’s just in life, we just have to make adjustments. There are just things that we can’t change…because there is no money going to building another entrance into the school. I would say the students just need to make adjustments,” Byrd said. “Eventually, because we’re tracking that data to see who’s tardy consistently, detentions will be assigned. And it’s not lunch detention, it’s after school detention.”

Pam Foutch, school store secretary, says that the price for the parking passes may seem higher but the school has prorated the cost due to fewer days attended during COVID-19 during the last two years.