The Village of Amherst recently voted to change the parking rules on Main Street for safety reasons. Now Main St. parking is for two hours only.
A concern is the school could run out of room for parking spaces. Mike Klieforth, the principal, hopes that he can expand the parking room to behind the softball field. With more and more kids getting driver’s licenses, that means more and more cars will be in the parking lot; he also hopes the parking lot will get an addition.
“If we can get these parking issues sorted out, I hope kids who drive will listen,” said Principal Klieforth.
Teacher concerns and strategies
Most teachers have adapted to the various parking lots knowing that the key to a good spot is early arrival. Here’s what some of them had to say.
Matt Miller, a tech ed teacher, says, “I think the parking lots are good size and I make sure I get to school early enough to get a good spot.”
VurChelle Baumann, a music teacher, says her strategy is to get here at 7:00 because she has choir lessons at 7:00.
Another Amherst music teacher, Jolynn Wucherer, her strategy is to park on the legal street parking, and get here early.
A science teacher, Swan’s strategy is to show up as early as possible and get a good enough parking spot so he can leave quickly.
English Teacher William Van Lannen said minutes count when it comes to parking options. “For me it all comes down to about 5 minutes, much like life. If I get my sorry butt up-and-running I’m in the front row. If I’m dragging, that means I’m grabbing what’s left and then I’m walking. The good thing is these boots were made for walking, bruh,” said
How do the teachers feel about having to walk so far to park? English teacher Jennifer Ludeman says “unneighborly, because they don’t like having to walk so far,”
Student concerns and strategies
Student parking on the southwest corner of the compound will become more congested with each passing month as more and more students obtain their driver’s license.
“My concerns for parking are when there are multiple games in different sports the lot is always full. It is embarrassing that we spent all the money to renovate our school and athletic fields but we overlook parking for the people that want to support our school,” said junior Michael Glodowski.
“It is not fun when, maybe a grandma who is late for her granddaughter’s basketball game, has to drive up and down to find a spot just to have to park in the grass. When people park in the grass, Wisconsin weather doesn’t help them. Their tires dig up the dirt and make our facilities look bad and it sucks to have mud covered shoes when you’re just trying to support your peers in their athletics.” Glodowski continued.
Glodowski also expects problems with winter parking.
“When it snows the lines are usually never cleared off in time where the students can see where to park. Of course even if the lines are cleared off you will still have sophomore drivers that don’t know how to park. I don’t have a strategy to get a good spot because all the extracurriculars I participate in call for me to be at the school when the parking lot is empty besides my colleagues,” said Glodowski.
Other students share a variety of similar concerns. Izzy Mykisen, a junior, says “I don’t care, I just find a parking spot. Close to the front so they don’t have to walk so far.”
Jack Seeger says “to get there early,”
What do you dislike about the way students park? Faith Sopa says “they never park inside the lines.”
