On the second day of school, an announcement was made over the school intercom informing teachers to allow late students in without a pass due to heavy traffic in the school’s parking lot. Seven hours later, the school bell rang dismissing students for the day, and again, many had to wait a while before they could exit the school’s parking lot. 

The athletics department is in charge of overseeing the parking, collecting documentation, assigning passes, and monitoring the parking lots for violations. According to school resource officer David Attaway, it is not uncommon to have heavy traffic in the first few weeks of school, with the exception of last year, when many students remained at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“There’s always been traffic problems,” junior Emma Lundquist said. 

Students have been late to classes as a result of the traffic. Like many other students, freshman Salina Ali arrives at school at around 7 a.m. However, traffic can delay her for up to 15 minutes. 

“I could be at risk for detention if the traffic continues,” Ali said. 

To try and help the problem, Principal Robert Frasca announced on Friday in his weekly update that the exit from the student parking lot would become a right-turn only lane. 

Among both students and administrators, the general consensus is that the return to in-person schooling is the main factor causing such heavy traffic in the parking lot. After all, two years of parents and students are unfamiliar with the parking lot system. Attaway adds that parents who try to cut the line end up only aggravating the problem, clogging up the line and extending the wait time for everyone. 

However, athletics director Jay Getty suggests a simple solution to the problem. “Proper planning on the part of both the students driving to school and the parents dropping off their students,” Getty said.