Students Paying For Parking Spots They Can’t Find

On By Branford Buzz

By Vanessa Fusco and Nicole Pagliaro

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story contained the incorrect cost of a student parking pass at BHS. The cost for a student parking pass is $30.

Despite paying $30 a year to park, many BHS students have to battle to find a spot in the student parking lot because some teachers – who are not required to pay to park – take up many of the prime spots instead of using the faculty lot, students say.

Many teachers began to take over the parking lot this school year, leaving student drivers at Branford High School with nowhere else to park other than crosswalks and grass patches, several students have reported.

When student drivers are forced to park elsewhere they have to walk around the school in order to reach the main entrance, whereas teachers are allowed to go through the entrance right next to the student parking lot.

“Teachers have their own lot to park in,” said senior Samantha Burzynski, who is frustrated with the situation. “So [they should] utilize it.”

Ava Cosgrove, another senior says “I don’t get it because they (the teachers) can use whatever door they want, we can only use one.” 

While walking to the main entrance is already time consuming for students, many students interviewed said that finding a parking spot takes even longer. Often times it means deciding if parking in a crosswalk and getting a ticket or risking damage to their tires when jumping curbs to park on grass patches is worth being on time for class.

“[Finding a parking spot] Makes me an extra five minutes late,” said senior Ava Brunner. 

Over crowded student lots have been an ongoing issue. School principal Lee Panagoulias said the school this year has put in 10-15 new spots on the grass in response to the situation.

“It has become a problem because so many more people are driving,” Panagoulias said. “My team and I will look at the parking lots this summer to plan and create new spots.”

The student parking lot often gets crowded, forcing some student drivers to find creative places to park. Photo credit: Nicole Pagliaro.
The student parking lot often gets crowded, forcing the school to create new spots on the grass in order to make more spaces. Photo credit: Nicole Pagliaro.

Teachers don’t park in the student lot to make students aggravated or late to class; several of the teachers who do so said they simply do it for their own convenience. 

“At the end of the day I’m leaving this end of the building so it’s closer,” said teacher Alicia Loesche.

Teacher Danielle Craig added: “The student lot is closer to my classroom.”

Teachers didn’t always park in the student parking lot. In the fall, the school changed the morning drop-off traffic pattern that has contributed to more teachers using the student lot, Loesche and Craig said.

“Since the parents have been going in the back,” Loesche said. “the traffic going around the building is ridiculous and I don’t want to wait.”

Students feel so strongly about getting this issue fixed that they themselves have come up with solutions.

“Both students and teachers should have assigned parking spots,” said senior Danny Vaicunas.

Editor's Note: Adam Albrecht contributed to this report.

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5 Replies to “Students Paying For Parking Spots They Can’t Find”

  1. Students pay $50 to park because it’s a luxury and entirely free to take the bus. Teachers don’t pay $50 to park because this is their required JOB site and they need to drive here. To say otherwise is to imply that they Uber or also take a bus, which is ridiculous by comparison. Also the people who have to park on the grass or side walk is a vast vast minority of students (and usually the ones who show up late). I guarantee you this issue could be fixed if students—if they are able—show up to school earlier. There’s rarely a problem with parking spots at 7:00 to 7:10 am. Also, assigned parking spots could pose a problem as people might be resentful if they have to park towards the back of the parking lot the whole year. If you show up early, then the early bird gets the worm. And if you don’t like this parking arraignment, then just take the bus like most the other students and stop complaining.

    1. Common sense would be don’t sell more passes than spots available and everyone park in the appropriate lot. If the teachers can’t get to class on time from the faculty lot, then they have to get to school earlier. (And I believe the word you were looking for was “arrangement,” not “arraignment.”)

    2. I wouldn’t point the finger at teachers…

      It would be very interesting to see how many students who park at BHS have actually paid the $50.00 parking fee. The school should have security check for decals and fine students who have not paid the due amount. That should free up a lot of spaces for those students who continue to arrive between 7:20-7:30.

      And why is this being brought up with 10 days of school left?

  2. Teachers need to park in faculty spots. I have no sympathy for them having to walk farther to get to their classrooms. Try driving to New Haven and then needing to take a shuttle bus from the spot you paid for to get to your office. I drop my daughter off in the morning and she complained about the backdoor being a longer walk to her locker than the front door. I told her to suck it up and these teachers can do the same. Can’t get to your classroom on time? Try getting to school earlier. There is no line of parent cars at 7:10 in the morning. As a matter-of-fact, it always shocks me at the number of cars heading into the faculty lot that SPEED by me in the morning.

    1. Exactly. Both students and teachers need to show up on time. Blaming traffic doesn’t fly if leaving the house earlier allows you to show up on time (of course there are exceptions, but most people could come earlier if they actually gave an effort). Between 7-7:10, the parking lots are practically empty compared to 7:20-7:30. Also, using argument that it’s a “long walk to the classroom” to justify being in the wrong parking lot is also ridiculous. Shall they blame traffic lights for slowing them down from getting to the school too? This problem is solved by leaving for school earlier and being responsible—this applies to both students and teachers who have the power to show up earlier.

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