As a new change for the 2011-2012 school year, students who purchase parking passes will be assigned a permanent parking space at registration.
The pass costs $180, and students will have the opportunity to choose their desired lot upon purchasing the pass.
Renaissance students will have first choice on parking spots at Aug. 8 registration, along with a $10 discount per semester on the pass. Assistant Principal Matt Dieckhaus said, “We will allow students to choose one of three areas, not a specific spot, of the lot that they prefer, and they will be designated a spot in that area.”
Non-Renaissance students will also get the opportunity to choose an area at a later time during their own registration. “This will allow most students to choose an area that they prefer,” Dieckhaus said.
The change in policy will ensure that students who purchase a pass always have an available spot to park in. There will also be an area designated for students who wish to buy daily passes throughout the year.
To ensure that this happens, a new system will be put in place.
“Students who take another person’s parking space or park without a pass will be dealt with via a new progressive series of fines, which are listed on the parking application. Also, repeat offenders will be subject to school discipline based on their continued insubordination,” Dieckhaus said.
The decision was made earlier this year to assign parking for a variety of reasons.
Dieckhaus said, “District budget constraints have caused us to reduce our parking attendant staffing by 50 percent. Rockwood is also seeking ways to raise revenues, specifically in areas where not all students utilize a service available.”
He also explained that with the rise in parking pass prices, fees to maintain the parking lot will now be covered by those students who choose to drive to school, rather than all students, regardless of whether or not they park at school.
Another reason for the switch was a concern for drivers’ safety in the parking lot.
“With the reduced number of Parking Attendants and Hall Monitors at LHS this year, we will have fewer adults available to guide traffic after school,” Dieckhaus said.
He continued, “Safety is our primary concern, and we are required to create traffic patterns which allow emergency vehicles immediate access no matter the time of day, including dismissal. With fewer adults to guide the previous traffic pattern, we will be designating a different pattern than in years past, which allow us to meet the requirement.”
The new pattern will only impact students parking in the East Lots near the stadium pool. Fewer lanes will be open to exit, but each one will still be guided by an adult.
While this may cause confusion initially, the administration anticipates the change to run smoothly.
“Change is always difficult for some, but we believe after the initial adjustment, students will handle the new system responsibly. The first few days will take some getting used to, but after that, we expect everyone will adjust accordingly,” Dieckhaus said.
However, some students are unhappy with the new policy.
Senior Tim Heath said, “There is no credible reason for assigned parking. Paying the ridiculous parking fee should grant you free parking without restrictions.”
Heath also believes there are alternatives to ensure student safety.
“To make the lot safer, why not suspend parking privileges temporarily for fender benders or speeding through the parking lot? This will create an incentive for drivers to drive safely and still allow for free choice of parking spaces,” he said.
Other students feel the same. Senior Rachael Pace said, “We haven’t had any problems with the old system, and there are always empty spots, so I don’t see the need for assigned parking.”
However, Dieckhaus said, “Be patient with the new traffic patterns. We will use [this] our guiding principal as we work with everyone regarding parking and traffic on our lots.
