Parking Spaces Low at Arrowhead High School

Pete Freyer, the AHS school resource officer, issues 15-20 tickets per week in Arrowhead’s parking lots. Each ticket is $10; the ticket doubles if not paid it in ten days.

He said, “I probably issue an average of about 15 to 20 tickets per week. It seems to be cyclical. I will issue quite a few tickets for a week or two, everybody then gets back on track and does a really good job for a while, and then for some reason the students improperly park again.”

Freyer said there is no certain schedule for checking parking lots.

“I check the parking lots when time allows or when requested. If there are important tasks going on inside the buildings, I may not get outside on any given day. Sometimes other staff will tell me of improperly parked cars and I will get out there. I do try to get out and check the parking lots everyday and for at least a little time,” he said.

Freyer just started checking parking spots this year. Freyer says he is not 100 percent sure what he thinks of the students parking in illegal spots. The spots that people park are in reserved parking spots, in the grass, or even on slashed lines.

Freyer said, “I cannot say that I think one way or the other. The school and the Town of Merton do have parking rules and they do need to be enforced if students don’t follow them. I am the one charged with addressing the violations. Many of these same rules apply elsewhere in society and these same students follow them.”

AHS students have complained about fewer spots in the parking lot.

He said, “There are not less spots. There are more students driving later in the school year, so it seems like there are less. We do have enough spots. Students just do not want to look for them or walk.”

There were a few things that freyer wanted to add about the parking lot issues.

He said, “Parking enforcement is just one of those things students don’t always think is a big deal, but it does help keep property from being damaged, does keep traffic ways open for important reasons, and keeps spots available for people that need to move between campuses often or may have some limitations.”

AHS student Matt Prendergast has faced having no place to park.

He said, “I think it is ridiculous that all of the sudden we are having to park so far away and sometimes even park in an illegal spot. We pay so much for a ticket I feel like I deserve a spot that is not far away like the tennis courts especially since my class is right by the doors I walk out of, I use to be able to get out right away and beat traffic.”

Prendergast said there used to be so many spots and now there none.

“In the beginning of the semester, there was no problem with parking. We were even able to park in the athletics with no problem. Now there is not even space in the gravel parking lot by the soccer fields. I have to park in the tennis courts and sometimes I run out of time so I have to park on the grass and then I get a ticket,” he said.

“I am very frustrated with the whole parking situation and now I have to come to school extra early just for a spot,” Prendergast said.