On campus, parking passes are $35 a school year at FHS. These can be purchased throughout the school year so new drivers have the chance to buy one and park on campus; however, is it really necessary to have to pay to park on campus at your school?

Lately, there have been issues occurring in the student parking lot ranging from constant tickets for a variety of issues, to minor accidents. This prompted an email from the administration at FHS reminding students about the rules of parking on campus.

A poll taken showed that 75% of respondents believe that the parking passes are too expensive.

“I understand having to pay to park on campus, since we are using the school’s facilities and it is a privilege to be able to park on campus, but it should not be too high of a fee just for students to park,” junior Abigail Langstaff says.

Some students mentioned that they know others who go to different schools that are paying less than FHS students.

“I have family that go to county schools [and] they are only paying $5-10,” sophomore Madison Feller explains.

Some argue that the price for parking passes is not a problem, since it goes towards school functions.

“Parking fees fund school activities,” sophomore JJ Mihalik states.

Realistically, not all students have the money to be able to purchase a parking pass, with some having to drive themselves to school but most of their money having to go towards bills at home or other personal necessities that take priority over purchasing a parking pass.

One solution proposed would be to have spot reservations that are free, but would still provide all students with a necessary spot.

“Making kids pay is just causing kids to avoid getting a parking pass at all and causing more problems than we have,” sophomore Reagan Bruskotter says. “With free registration, you could get a spot reserved and not pay anything.”

The next question then becomes if parking on campus is worth the risk of the chaos that goes on when entering and exiting the parking lot.

“As students, we need a lot in order to get to school,” sophomore Katy Rubiolo says. “Most students drive so the school needs to have a spot for it. Any accident is the fault of a student and will be handled by adults and insurance. Kids making dumb decisions and getting in a fender bender is a tiny risk compared to not being able to get to school.”

Others agree saying it’s worth it for the proximity to the school.

“I believe campus parking is definitely more dangerous with the amount of students that drive recklessly, but it’s a great opportunity to keep kids from parking anywhere [farther away] and allows closer distance to the building,” senior Elle Smith says.

The conclusion? Most students believe parking passes are worth the risk of an accident, but the price is debatable.