While most schools in the Hart district have one big parking lot for students, Hart’s parking lot consists of many different sections. For student parking, there’s the lower lot next to the T-buildings, the upper lot that connects to the lower lot (by the field), and the parking lot next to the Q-buildings. Even though the lower lot is the biggest, all of Hart’s parking lots are relatively small. In the morning, the lower lot fills up fast.

Senior Ridley Downs is one of the many students who parks in the T-lot. Downs usually parks in the lower lot, but if she gets to school after 7:15 am, she has to park in the upper lot because all the spots are taken.

 “There aren’t enough parking spots for each car…even with the upper lot in the T’s…and people are parking on the sides of the road, which is very dangerous when you’re trying to leave,” Downs said.

 She also mentioned that the gate to get into campus by the Q-lot is closed when students arrive for their 0 period class. So students are forced to walk around the school to get in at a different entrance if they park in that lot. Another problem with the Q-lot is that sometimes at the end of the day, the yard supervisors forget to unlock the gate to the parking entrance. Students have to wait for someone to come unlock the gate so that they can leave the lot. 

Downs had some recommendations to help fix the issues.

“I know that they can’t create another parking lot, but what they could do is they could number all of the spaces and when kids pay for a parking pass, it can correspond with an actual parking spot,” she said.

 She believes that seniors and juniors should have priority for those parking spots, and they could pay more for a closer spot to the school. In addition, tickets should be given to students if they park illegally.

 “When you don’t [give tickets], more and more people will start parking horribly and it’ll get worse and worse, and that’s why we have accidents,” Downs said.

 Solutions like Down’s could make it easier for students to get a parking space, and it could prevent future accidents from happening. In the end, it’s up to the school administration to make a change. But maybe by working together with the students, they can help improve the situation.