Ava Diaz
The Gabrielino parking lot now provides the last three rows for student parking.
As the 2025-26 school year begins, Gabrielino High School students are met with new rules and policy updates. These include changes to student and staff parking, new guidelines for the use of AI, updated graduation requirements, and a revised outline for the student senate.
Unlike previous years’ free-space policy, which allowed students with a parking pass to park in any space, the school has now introduced assigned parking spaces, numbered 1–68.
Some students disagree with the change, like senior Julina Mireles, who shares, “I just genuinely think we need more parking spaces because I know a lot of people who drive, and there aren’t that many spaces left.”
Assistant Principal Murchie explained, “The idea behind the assigned spots was to make sure we knew exactly who was supposed to be parking in the lot, and so we could more easily manage it.”
In addition to the parking changes, new guidelines have been released by the school in an effort to clarify the use of AI in student work. The rules set clearer boundaries and expectations that the school has for AI.
Murchie added, “There’s no ban on AI usage; it’s more education on it so that we can teach our students how to responsibly use AI.”
Many students support the decision. Sophomore Kiera Trang shared, “I definitely think AI can be used as a tool if we use it right, like helping brainstorm ideas for things, but I don’t think we should rely on it so much.” She added that overusing AI “isn’t valuable for student minds” because its generative nature can cause students to lose out on their own learning.
Beginning with the class of 2030 students, Gabrielino has introduced a new ethnic studies requirement, which can be completed through multiple classes here at Gabrielino. This policy requires students in this class to have passed a semester of health and a semester of ethnic studies prior to graduation. The policy isn’t exclusive to only Gabrielino, but is a school board policy sent from the state of California.
Rounding out this year’s changes, Gabrielino has established a new outline for the student senate. The representative group is designed to emulate the government, with a spokesperson from each 2nd-period class to represent the student population and their needs more accurately.
“They’re like the House of Representatives; we call them senators, but they fulfill the same role,” Assistant Principal Chanda Strom explained.
Addressing student opinions, Strom stressed, “People should find out the background and understand everything before they decide to fight for something, because they might not know the whole picture of why things are put in place.”
Throughout the year, both students and staff will see how these policy changes shape life on campus.