The parking situation at All Saints’ has been discussed by faculty, staff, and students recently. The students of the Upper School, mainly the juniors and seniors, have had to park in the grass because there were no more spots left in the mornings. And yes, I am guilty of doing so. Recently, Worden announced in Chapel that students in the Upper School are not allowed to park in the grass because of how hard maintenance works on the lawns. 

He does make a very valid point with wanting to keep are campus looking beautiful. Yet, I see a potential problem. With forcing other students to park elsewhere, as in the Lower and Middle School parking lots, there will be less spots for teachers and parents. Therefore, I suggest that All Saints’ adds more parking spots now because if not this potential problem will become a eminent and real one.

The total number of the Junior and Senior students comes to be 193, which means at least 193 spots should be available near the high school. This number does not include sophomores who are just now starting to drive. The total number of spots the students can use that are in the vicinity of the high school is 191 spots, already not meeting the minimum number of spots used by high schoolers. The extra juniors and possibly sophomores are forced to resort to the next best place: the parking lot in front of the Upper School. There are only 5 available spots for these 2+ students who cannot find a space in the student parking lot, due to administration and faculty cars already taking up the other 47 spots. And maybe even some days, there might not be any available spots at all. There seems to always be visitors, alumni, and parents wandering the halls, and there cars are sitting in those extra 5 spots in front of the Upper School.

Switching gears to the opposite side of campus, the Early Childhood Center has parking problems of its own. According to Leigh Anne Kotarski, every month two of the 20 faculty members in the E.C. have the privilege of parking in the lot. The other 16 spots are devoted to parents who drop off their children. I understand why those spots should be given to those parents with young children, but teachers are then forced to park either at the Middle or Lower school parking lots.

When the Early Childhood teachers park in other parking lots, it does not disturb the peace too much. Yet when parents come for Chapel, a play, or an award ceremony for their child, parking becomes too hectic to control, in my opinion. On ‘Headmaster’s’ and ‘Principal’s’ lists days, many parents come to see their children get honored. I was one of these little kids a long time ago, so I understand how special and memorable those days are. With the influx of parents and the already-limited amount of space the school has, many Juniors and Seniors are forced to park on the grass and in the front of the Upper School, where the administration does not prefer us to park.

The calculations above may not be one hundred percent accurate, due to the chances of some juniors not driving and possibly more sophomores that anticipated are already driving. Yet as the year goes on, the need for more parking becomes eminent, due to the fact that more and more sophomores are getting cars and needing spots.

We all love All Saints’, just as more and more people are starting to love it too. And as more visitors and students come our beloved school, the need for parking increases!