Parking at KHS is a total nightmare: sitting in traffic, only to find there are no open spots in the lot and having to park in a neighborhood just before first hour, getting to school so early the sun isn’t even up just to secure a spot close to the school, being fined for parking in a teacher’s spot when you were already running late and truly didn’t see the number. Students who don’t get to school 25 to 30 minutes before their first class are forced to park on streets and in neighborhoods. Personally, I would rather get to school extremely early than have to walk out of my way to get to school. Whether students park on Essex, Dougherty Ferry or even the surrounding streets and neighborhoods, they are faced with numerous challenges and ongoing dangers.
There are only two parking lots on campus. The junior lot, located on West Essex Ave., is smaller than the senior lot on Dougherty Ferry Rd., making it harder and more competitive to find a spot in the morning. As a junior, I would get to school around 7:10 or 7:15 last year so that I could get a spot in the parking lot. I arrived at school so tired I would take a nap for 30 minutes in order to function during the day. The senior lot has been much better to me, but I still arrive fairly early to avoid traffic. And while it has more parking for students, traffic along Dougherty Ferry Rd. tends to build up early in the morning.
In both parking lots, spaces marked with big, white numbers signify teacher parking spaces. Although there are more students than teachers at KHS, those numbered spots seem to fill the majority of both the parking lots. As if that weren’t irritating enough, a ton of those numbered spots are often found empty throughout the day. If students dare to park in any of the teacher spots, they will be fined $10. Some students park in spaces where the numbers are heavily faded and still get in trouble. Others are simply in a rush and don’t care if they get fined.
KHS hands out parking passes generously to any junior or senior willing to pay the $20 parking fee. You would think they’d limit the number of passes sold to the number of parking spots available, but you’d be wrong. Students may end up paying $20 only to park in a nearby neighborhood. At least you can get your cardio in for the day.
For sophomores and anyone who gets to school later than 7:35, you’re out of luck. Nearby streets are crowded with students trying to figure out how to parallel park. They will take five or even 10 minutes to park, making traffic on Dougherty Ferry Rd. even worse. Neighborhoods streets such as Rochdale, Applewood and Gabriel are common parking spots for students as well. Some desperate students try to find parking anywhere they can, some even resorting to spots in front of driveways or fire hydrants, both or which are illegal.
The issues with KHS parking are not only limited to the morning. Once school gets out, everyone rushes to their car to try and beat the after-school rush. While attempting to get out of there first, students speed out of parking spots and down the rows, oblivious to other drivers doing the same. Parents are so concerned about getting out of there quickly that they rarely stop for student drivers. Buses line the junior lot, taking their time to load kids on, holding up traffic.
KHS re-paved the two parking lots and could have added more space during the summer construction. Instead, students will be forced to continue this exhausting and stressful fight for parking in the morning just to sit in a classroom for seven hours.
