Any student can relate to the excitement of passing their driving exam. The independence and freedom of being able to drive is an opportunity most teenagers are anxious to get their hands on. Besides the convenience of being able to travel without an accompanying adult and the obvious excitement of traveling with friends to meet up, students also have the opportunity to drive themselves to and from school.

Providing your own transportation to FHS opens a world of opportunity for students. For some, it means being able to sleep in instead of being the first one on their bus. For others, it means not having to sprint down the hill to their departing bus. For most students however, providing independent transportation means being able to leave the school when you want. This means a student can drive in early for missed work, stay late for soccer practice and go home when they’re ready. Whether students don’t enjoy riding the bus or simply like driving, the student parking lot provides a place for FHS to store their vehicles.

“The School Board adopted the student parking fees for the 2011-12 school year. The fee is used to offset the costs associated with the privilege of driving as well as the safety and security of our students in the 97 space parking lot,” Business Manager, Ms. Norine Plate said.

If a student would like to sign up for a parking spot, they can speak with Mrs. Keener in the main office. A whole year parking pass will cost $25, whereas a semester parking pass will only set a student back $15. After paying, the office takes down the student’s driver’s license number, license plate, and the make, model and color of the car. Seniors get first pick of their spots during the first week of the school year. But where does the money incurred from the parking fees go?

“The money goes straight into the general budget,” Administrative assistant, Mrs. Linda Keener said.
This means that although the parking lot is maintained by the usual maintenance crew, including shoveling and salting the lot, no particular amount of money is set aside for parking maintenance. In other words, the money the administration acquires through parking fees can be used anywhere.

“Associated costs will vary year-to-year, but can include lighting, cameras, paint and salt. The $25 fee was determined after surveying the other schools in Beaver County that charge fees to students for parking,” Plate said.

But, why is it so expensive to park at FHS? It takes some money to maintain the lot; the salt and maintenance crew doesn’t come free, even if some students report traction issues. Because this accumulated money is placed into the general budget and not set aside where it can be used to maintain the lot, no one can know how much of the money from parking passes is left over after maintenance.

The convenience of the student parking lot is something students should appreciate. It is kept in good shape and maintained well in the winter. However, at $25 a spot with 73 spots paid for, FHS should be prepared to spend over $1,800 on salt.