As any high schooler can tell you, student parking lots are often the most chaotic part of a school day. Between students trying to get to class on time and parents dropping off their kids, the parking lot can be a major source of stress and frustration, causing those involved to act out. Abraham Lincon’s administration took into account these concerns and created new rules to better ensure safety for student drivers for a smoother experience. There are many different opinions regarding these changes from both administration and student drivers.
Assistant principal Jeff Novotny says the old rules caused a lot of safety concerns.
“Last year, we had many people parking illegally on Bonham Rd because they did not want to enter the lot,” said Novotny. “The city, police department and school district decided this would not be allowed this year due to the dangerous situation it caused.”
Novotny said, with the situation, the administration decided to make all traffic only exit out of the top of the parking lot, near the tennis courts.
“There is legal parking in both the neighborhoods to the east and west of the school if parents don’t want to enter the lots,” said Novotny. “Students can walk a short distance to those spots or visit with friends after school for about ten to fifteen minutes and have your ride come then.”
Junior Kaylee Simons says that the parking lot is helpful, but maybe not as helpful as administration originally thought.
“It’s not as easy as they want,” said Simons. “Some people have to take the long way home because they have to go right.”
Junior Zoey Murry says she thinks the new rules will work in the end but the students have to make some changes.
“People need to be patient and wait their turn,” said Murry, “rather than cutting others off.”
Claude Lang, a teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School, said that the new rules are a step in the right direction.
“I believe that in a month or so everything will work out,” said Lang.
Assistant principal John Crall says the parking lot will have a very positive outcome by the end of the school year.
“I know change can be frustrating and it will take time for everyone to get comfortable with it, but it’s objectively getting better each day,” said Crall. “The time it takes to clear the lot has been shorter every day this week and feedback from our safety experts informs us that students are safer in our parking lot as a result of these changes. We tell students that safety is our top priority and this is a good example of how we live up to that standard.”
