The student parking lot at Boothbay Region High School is the first place students go every morning before school, for most students that is. About 37% of the surveyed student body is pushed out of the student parking lot due to lack of space. This leads to students getting into trouble for parking where they are not allowed and having to walk long distances to get to school from their cars.

When surveyed, 25% of the 36 students who answered the survey found they had to park in other locations and only 6.3% thought there was sufficient space in the student parking lot. Due to these things, the student parking lot has become an unavoidable source of stress, and conflict for our student body. A more organized, grade-based parking system would create space and reduce stress for the student body at BRHS.

The lack of space in the student parking lot is not the only problem we face while trying to park our cars and get to school. Statistically young drivers, ages 16 to 19, are four times more likely to get into a car accident than older drivers (“Young Drivers | NHTSA”). We may not have major accidents often in the parking lot, but I have witnessed and been part of some very close calls. Curbs are hit and cars are dinged, while students are parking or pulling out. One student replied, “People not parking correctly in the lines, people dinging doors or scratching and not saying anything about it" (BRHS student).

Pulling out of the student parking lot is sometimes nearly impossible at 2:30 every day. I often find myself as well as many others waiting for most people to leave before pulling out into the street crowded with parents, and community members from the elementary school picking up their kids. I have been honked at not only by students, joking around, but also by community members as I try to pull out onto the crowded street.

It is flat-out dangerous to have so many new drivers, most of whom have not had their license for over a year, in the same small parking lot urgently trying to leave and go to work or sports. When surveyed 16% admitted to being in a crash or small fender bender in the student parking lot. This may seem like a minority but that is about one in every 6 students. Something has to be done to protect everyone. 

The students at Boothbay Region High School have some strong opinions about the parking situation they face every day. One student said “I have to sit in my car for 15-20 mins just to be able to pull out of my spot” Another stated, “ The cramped size of the student parking lot makes getting out a hassle.” Students face this struggle every day and are fed up.

It does not help that parents have been using the parking lot as a space to skip the elementary school line and pick up their kids. One student spoke on this concern, “People who are not students park there too. Some teachers and community members." As they use the parking lot as a pickup line, students try to merge into each other and get to after-school jobs and activities. It is frustrating every day to get honked at, hands thrown at you, and heads shaken by older community members who are using the parking lot. This is another concern for us as students who need to get out of the lot to be on time for work and sports. 

While I understand that expanding the parking lot is more or less out of the question due to construction costs and that this is not a problem for everyone in the community, there are things that can be done to create better organization in the parking lot. I understand that parents need to work and do not have time to wait in the pick-up line but the student parking lot is already packed full.

These issues have been brought up in Boothbay Register letters in past years by recent BRHS alumni Slade Balsdon and Ryan Clark; their concerns were not acted upon and nothing has changed in the parking lot. This shows that this is an ongoing concern for our student body. While the concerns of parents and the costs of expanding the parking lot are definitely valid concerns, there are methods for organizing the pickup and parking situations that are cost-free and will relieve stress. 

I propose that the lower student parking lot--which is causing all of the problems--be designated for Juniors and Seniors. Sophomores, and other students, community members, and parents need to find another place to park during the day. In talking with David Benner, the CSD Facilities Director, I was told parking permits used to be the only way for someone to park in the student parking lot. I was also made aware that back in 2001 students had designated parking spots. I think this would dramatically decrease the stress and difficulty that the students feel when using the lower parking lot, especially with all students arriving at the same time next year and not being spread out over the usual Academy period. Having the parents and younger drivers out of the parking lot will create more space for all students.

This has been a problem for years and it is time to put an end to parking lot stress, fights, and accidents. 

Work Cited

“Young Drivers | NHTSA.” Www.nhtsa.gov, www.nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work/young-drivers#:~:text=In%202021%20some%202%2C116%20drivers. Accessed 4 June 2024.