Pleasant Valley High School’s parking lot may seem like an uncomplicated area, but it holds significant value to students’ and staff’s everyday school experience. It offers a place to park vehicles conveniently, allowing students, parents, and faculty to access classes, activities, or work on time. It also gives the school the opportunity to host activities, sporting events, and community gatherings while giving people a place to park their vehicles securely.
However, our parking lot also has problems. At times of pick-up and drop-off, it gets congested and rowdy. Traffic gets so congested that it can become dangerous for cars and pedestrians. Logan Pitts, a junior at PV, said that his worst experience was when a student “came the wrong way [. . .] no one knew what to do and it was at a standstill.” Occasionally, car crashes or close calls occur due to reckless driving, speeding, or a lack of defined regulations.
The number of parking spots is also an issue. Limited parking frustrates students and staff, particularly because the available parking spaces get used up fast. Mrs. Montgomery, a history teacher at PV, said, “If you do not get to school early, all faculty spots are unavailable.” The lack of regulation in the student parking lot causes the same problem.
There are several changes that could be made to improve the safety of our parking lot. Aireon Justice, a junior at PV, said, “We should completely remove the main staff parking lot since the staff already has plenty of places to park, and instead use those spots for the seniors and use the old senior spots for the juniors. This would further increase the flow of traffic and smooth out the issue of limited parking.” Lastly, Logan Pitts suggested increasing the availability of parking spots by purchasing a second parking lot within walking distance of the school.
In spite of these challenges, a well-managed parking lot can enhance school functionality and safety. Parking lots, properly designed, supervised, and clearly defined, are meant to alleviate stress among motorists, expedite the procedure of bringing students to school, and provide a safe and convenient access to the school for everybody. Pleasant Valley’s parking lot is both a privilege and a problem, but not one that can’t be solved.
