Sophomore drivers push out the seniors

Upperclassmen are the only students allowed to park in the lot with a $20 pass.

   When spring rolls around, there are a few inevitable characteristics: the warm weather, the countdown to summer, and many birthday parties. The birthday parties are a result of many Granite Bay High School sophomores celebrating their 16th birthday – after much anticipation, they are earning the privilege to become licensed drivers.
   The rapidly growing number of GBHS sophomore drivers means that traffic in the morning is becoming more congested on a daily basis.
   According to GBHS policy, sophomores are allowed to drive to school and park on the street in front of the school, while juniors and seniors can purchase parking passes for $20 to park in the parking lot.
  However, with the growing number of eligible drivers and seemingly shrinking number of parking spots on the street, sophomores have been found parking in the junior-and-senior-only parking lot.
   GBHS campus officer Deputy Joe Herrick thinks that the parking dilemma is a major problem for the school, especially from a liability standpoint.
   “We only issue permits to junior and senior students that are licensed, have insurance and registered vehicles,” Herrick said.
   Even with the looming threat of receiving a parking ticket, many sophomores are willing to take a chance and park in the parking lot. This may be a risky move, as Herrick said that the number of tickets written in one day has been as few as one and as high as 27.
   Though some sophomores have been taking advantage of the convenience of the parking lot, it negatively affects juniors and seniors who have chosen to take an unscheduled first period at GBHS.
   GBHS senior Annie Segale has an ROP class first period at Oakmont High School every morning, and is constantly frustrated by the parking situation. She is frequently forced to park at the East Parkway Church around the corner, like many other GBHS seniors.
   “I feel that it’s ridiculous that I waited four years to park in the parking lot, and I paid $20 this year to get a parking sticker,” Segale said. “(The sophomores) don’t even pay and they still get better spots than I do.”
   GBHS sophomores Jason Sandretti and Colin Black respect the rights of the upperclassmen to park in the parking lot, but agree that the current parking situation needs adjustment.
  “Most of the people who are complaining are juniors and seniors with first period off, so they’re coming late and they don’t have a place to park,” Black said.
   Sandretti drives to school and parks on the street every morning. He is frustrated by the situation because he sees the flip side of the dilemma: cars with parking passes lining the street.
   “When you come and see a bunch of people that have parking passes park on the street, it’s kind of weird,” Sandretti said. “It feels like you should be able to park in the lot (as a sophomore if they’re allowed to park on the street).”
   So what is the solution to this problem?
   Herrick says that non-provisional drivers, students who are 18 or have had their licenses for over a year, should help by driving other students to reduce traffic. He also suggests that students walk to school if they live nearby.
   Black has another suggestion.
   “The school (could) partition off a section for people with (an unscheduled first period) so that everyone else can park,” Black said. “(Then) people with first off can get a different kind of parking pass (and) have a different section of the parking lot, so they are guaranteed a space.”
   The area of the parking lot that could possibly be used for this is the large row of visitor and staff parking in the front of the school. According to Segale, almost the entire row is empty when she drives through the parking lot daily.
   “A lot of the staff spots are wide open and most of the staff should be there by then,” Segale said. “I don’t know why we have so many staff spots when they can park all around the school. It’s a whole row that could be used for students, instead of just staff and visitors.”
   Even Feist Park has become unavailable for parking on most days due to closed gates, making problems even worse. Sandretti said that opening the park for GBHS students on a daily basis would help ease the problem a little bit.
   “(Feist Park) would open up about a hundred more parking spots,” Sandretti said. “If GBHS made a deal with Feist Park and opened up the gate, a lot of parking spaces would clear up for the sophomores and make things a lot easier.”
   But until the problem is solved, there will be a constant struggle for parking.
   “I have never seen a school that did not have parking or traffic problems before, during and just after school,” Herrick said.
   Apparently, GBHS is just like every other school when it comes to parking drama.