With already limited parking spaces, Gabrielino’s student parking situation is a challenge, but the issue has been exacerbated by teachers taking up student-designated spaces despite having their own section. With limited spots and costly permits, students are frustrated by the lack of enforcement that allows faculty to park wherever they please. The current system isn’t just inconvenient—it’s unfair. If teachers have priority parking, then why do they need to use the few spaces students rely on? This issue raises important questions about accessibility, fairness, and accountability within the school’s parking system.
Beyond student spaces being lost to teachers, many students also struggle to secure a parking permit due to the high cost.
”I didn’t even try to get one because it was too expensive,” Senior Austin Ko shared. As a result, he now parks on Wells Street and is late to first period almost every day. Ko’s situation echoes the broader frustration of students who can’t afford the parking permit, yet still need a place to park on campus.
Junior Kiri Hoard also questioned the fairness of charging students for parking.
“You already paid for the car, so what’s the point?” Hoard inquired.
For many students, it feels as though the school is unnecessarily taking money for something that should already be free of charge. Additionally, Hoard’s sentiment highlights a broader concern that if students are expected to pay for a parking spot, they should at least be guaranteed access to it.
Yeah, I think it’s very hard to find a parking spot because the teachers get the spots,” Senior Jayden Guan said.
Students like Guan have found that despite the high cost and limited availability of parking passes, they are still competing for spaces that are supposed to be reserved for them, making it even more difficult to arrive at school on time.
Gabrielino administration justified the current parking system by emphasizing faculty priority. “Faculty can park in all eight rows if they need to. Students cannot,” Assistant Principal Kevin Murchie explained.
Murchie also clarified that the parking pass fee, while expensive, isn’t about making a profit for the school.
“It’s not something that we make money from. The dollar amount is determined by the cost of getting the parking passes done and other maintenance for the parking lot.”
While it’s understandable that teachers need parking, the reality is that many of their designated spots often remain unfilled while students struggle to find a place to park. Teachers have access to almost the entire lot, while students are left fighting for the remaining spaces, highlighting an imbalance that could easily be addressed with stricter enforcement of the parking zones.
Students feel as though the school is charging them for something they aren’t fully receiving. If the school is going to charge $40 for a parking permit, they should at least ensure that students can actually park in the spaces they pay for.
The solution is simple: enforce parking zones more strictly. Teachers should park in their designated section unless it is completely full, just as students are not allowed to park in the designated faculty spaces. The lack of consistent enforcement only perpetuates the frustration students feel, especially when they’re already paying for the privilege of parking on campus.
More accountability is needed to ensure that the system is fair for everyone. Stronger enforcement and better communication between the administration, faculty, and students could immediately alleviate some of the ongoing frustration. After all, students are not asking for special treatment—just for the school to honor the spaces they’ve paid for.
