La Jolla High’s Persistent Parking Problem
Photo via Paige Repp
November 8, 2021
No one enjoys the lack of parking in any overpopulated area, especially at school. La Jolla High has little to no parking for students. There are no designated parking spots that are solely for student use, meaning anyone can take up these parking spaces. Some students have even been yelled at or lectured by neighbors about parking near their homes or blocking their driveways. Affecting the neighborhood around the school is the last thing anyone wants to do. Not to mention, parking contributes to students being late to their first period due to having to park farther away from campus. Students attending La Jolla sometimes have to leave early to find a spot.
A large number of students are aware of the struggle to park. Junior Samantha Ponticello says, “I don’t like how early I have to leave for school to find decent parking.” It is unfair, not only to the students but to the neighbors living nearby that struggle to find parking as well. Senior Sabine Knott mentioned a recent occurrence due to lack of parking, “I was late to my first period, it’s unfortunate that this is impacting my education.”
Other schools in the San Diego Unified School District provide parking for students and staff. Consequently, their education is less likely to be interrupted by tardiness because of a lack of parking. It’s unlikely that La Jolla would be able to build a parking lot in the surrounding area of the school due to extremely high property values and a lack of empty spaces that aren’t built up with homes. However, there are resolutions to this problem; finding ways to fund money to build a parking lot near or on the campus would be one. If other schools can provide parking for their students, La Jolla High should find a way to do the same.