Usually in the morning at AHS, students who drive to school park their cars in the front/north parking lot of the school.  The faculty and staff park in a designated area on the south end of the school. This south parking lot is much smaller, and a shorter walk to the back door of the school, which is where the locker room and gym is located.  Principal Heather McKay and vice principal/athletic director Matt Alexander have said there are frequent complaints about students parking in this designated area.

Alexander commented on the policy of student parking.  “The policy is students have to register their vehicle, and there are consequences assigned to illegal parking.”  He said students parking in the south parking lot during school hours is illegal. However, he went on to say “If it’s not during school hours, parking within the back parking lot is allowed, but when there is a school day, faculty and other vehicles will come through and the students are not allowed to park there.”

Alexander expressed concern for semis using the loading dock, because a lot of space is needed to back them up. Illegal parking has been a constant problem for the school district, but Alexander said when students are illegally parked, he will most likely tell them to move before handing out tickets/punishments.

Alexander described the punishments.

1st offense – 15 minute detention, $10 fine

2nd offense – 45 minute detention, $25 fine

3rd offense – Loss of parking privileges for a TBD amount of time.

But why would students want to park back there so bad? Most of the kids that wish to park there are athletes, because it is a shorter walk.  Senior Colby Sorensen said he parks there outside of school hours but not during.  “It doesn’t really matter to me,” he said.  

In the winter, wrestlers and basketball players practice before school, and it is a very cold walk to the school.  “I know it sounds bad, but I think the back parking lot should be designated for athletes because that’s where the gym, wrestling room, weight room is located,” teacher and head volleyball coach Emma Walker said.

Many athletes park in the back, but then move to the front parking lot when school begins.  One of the reasons students believe it is okay to park in the back is because there are so many empty spots. On January 19, there were 27 open parking spots during school hours.

“Seeing all of these spots not being used and still not being allowed to park in the back is frustrating for some students,” senior Kerra Christensen said. “There are so many parking spots not being used, and everyone wants to use them. I think you should be able to park back there if you get there before the spots are taken.”

Even if you  feel differently, it doesn’t look like there will be any leniency or rule change in the foreseeable future for parking in the back.