This school year, 2022-2023, some things have changed at Lakeview High. The parking spots. Before school started this year the front of the school got a new blacktop. But this came with advantages and disadvantages. 

People like the newly paved parking lot simply because it’s new and it looks appealing. They added numbers to the parking spots so people are assigned a certain spot for the year, if they bought a parking spot pass. This helps with people not going into another’s spot. 

But some may say that there are more downsides to this matter. For one they changed the rules so that students can only park in front of the building and not on the sides and the back. These changes were made for the safety of the students. 

During the 2021-2022 school year some students were letting each other in through the side door of the parking lot. This became a safety concern because anyone could have been let in. So all students were moved to the front to limit people entering and leaving from the side door. All entrances and exits are made through the main entrance with this change.

This upset teachers a bit too because they used to park in the spots right in front of the school, by the sidewalk. It was easy for them to just walk right in. But the main audience that is upset with this, is the seniors. Seniors can’t paint any of the newly paved parking spots. 

Many students had to decide between getting a good close parking spot, or getting to paint their spot for senior year. This was a difficult decision for many that had been thinking about finally getting to paint their spot. These students would now be making a farther walk in any weather to get into the building. 

Senior Lexi Garcia said, “I don’t mind the little bit of the extra walk because I got to create a cool spot for my senior year.”

Garcia is one of few people that have painted their spot for this school year. Many of the seniors were not up for the further walk and they took the spots closer to the schools main doors. 

This year for students picking their parking spot was on a first come first serve basis. Seniors were given a one day in advance chance to pick their spot before any underclassmen could get a pick. The day that passes became available Vice Principal Micheal Detoro’s office was full of students trying to get the spot they wanted. 

Senior Izzi Petrilla struggled with deciding on painting her spot or the close walk. Petrilla said, “I am still not sure if I made the right choice. It made me sad that I couldn’t paint the spot I wanted but I am happy with my close walk.” 

Biology teacher Dana Bayne said “I don’t like that I can’t see my car from the front of the building. I worry if my car is ok.” 

Bayne liked that when her car was in the front of the school she was able to look out the front doors. Now that she is unable to see her car she worries that something could happen to it.  

Though many students are upset about the switch and the parking changes. This change was made for safety purposes to allow the students and staff to feel more comfortable in the building throughout the day now that there is only one main entrance in use.