Parking has long been a significant issue at Lexington High School. With limited spaces and increasing demand, squeezing into Worthen Road does not meet the school’s needs and requires improvement.

The scarcity of parking spots causes daily stress and disrupts the routines of faculty and students who depend on their vehicles to get to school on time. The challenge is prioritizing parking for teachers while balancing demands for more parking from students and staff.

Medha Jayendran, a senior at LHS, was among those selected by the lottery system to park in the main lot. She describes the struggle of finding parking for those without senior parking.

“If you don’t have senior parking, it’s tough to get parking, especially on Worthen. I have friends who get spots up front, and they arrive at 8:10,” Jayendran said.

This issue is not just applicable to students. Even for teachers, the limited availability of parking spots is a burden. 

“The issue is when I come in late and I can’t find a parking spot. That has been challenging for me,” Chelsea Choate, a French teacher at LHS, said.

Unfortunately, most solutions to this issue are costly and challenging to implement.

“Honestly, the solution is increasing the amount of parking spots. Belmont High School has an entire parking garage for teachers and students. Although that would need a substantial budget, I think any solution of creating more parking spots close to the school would be best,” Jayendran said.

Often, scarcity of parking spots leads to disputes as spots for teachers are taken by students, exacerbating the struggle to find parking. 

“I don’t know where they’re supposed to park, but I do know that students are parking in the parking lot that I’m parking in, and I think that is also contributing to not being able to find a spot,” Choate said. 

Teachers have professional obligations and must arrive on time to start their classes. Their punctuality directly affects the entire class of students waiting for them. 

“As a teacher, you know that there are 25 students waiting for me in my classroom. I have to be responsible for these students and get everything ready, and if that I cannot arrive at school after a certain time and be able to find a parking lot it causes a lot of pressure,” Choate said.

Unlike students, who may have varying schedules and can adjust their arrival times slightly, teachers have a fixed schedule that requires them to be present before classes begin. Students like Jayendran recognize this as well.

“Frankly, teachers should be getting parking spots. They work here. They should get a spot as it is part of their job to be here on time to teach their students,” Jayendran said. 

However, the underlying issue of limited parking availability will persist without a major solution. 

 “There’s teachers parking on the grass because there aren’t enough parking spots… Parking is a top priority for teachers and staff,” Choate said.