Among the several changes Southern Lehigh Students have faced at the start of this school year, the most controversial has been the new parking system.

In past years, whoever turned in their form first got assigned a specific spot in a desired lot. Throughout the year each student would park in the designated spot number indicated on their parking tag.

News spread over the summer that students would now only be assigned a specific parking lot and spots would be on a first-come first-serve basis. Students wondered which system would work better. Would they have to get to school early now just to get a good spot?

“I have no preference over one system or the other.” senior Spencer Cobb said. “In the end, I think that it all evens out. Even if you come in late, you know that you will still have a spot.”

Some students, however, are very dissatisfied with the new parking system.

“I feel like it is extremely hectic in the morning,” senior Kaitlynn Kassel said. “If we still had assigned parking spots, we would already know where we are parking.”

“I have to get up early to get to school just to find a parking spot close enough,” senior Haley Risi said. “It’s already hard enough to find a spot, but then you also have to dodge people walking around the parking lot.”

This change in parking systems has some students questioning whether it’s really fair to be paying a standard price of $50, for what could be parking spot in the shed lot or the farthest one in the soccer lot.

“I think that it is fair that students should have to pay for parking. We give the options for [students to ride] buses,” assistant principal Mr. Covelle said. “If you want to pay to park, then you pay to park. There are certain expenses that incur when you own a car.”

“In the grand scheme of things it is not that steep. It is a reasonable price for the whole year,” senior Alex Knapp said. “The money also goes towards the school and maintenance for said parking lot and other commodities. So I see no issue with it. What kid doesn’t want to drive themselves?”

Regardless of student opinion, the parking system stands for the remainder of the year.

“We try to appeal to the masses,” Mr. Covelle said. “People forget that we are trying to please around two thousand kids.”