Over summer break, construction at HC escalated across campus. Such conditions have made many areas of campus unrecognizable and inaccessible. Most notably, the parking lot that bordered the gym has been taken over by construction, drastically reducing the amount of student parking available on campus. In response to limited student parking, HC paved the gravel or “junior” lot that borders the football field, providing 82 parking spaces for eligible student drivers.
“Seniors in good academic standing will be eligible to enter a lottery to receive a parking pass,” head principal Antonio Blackman said in an email on Wednesday, July 30. “I’m happy to announce that Henry Clay will be able to provide parking for 82 students. Please know, I wish we were able to allow parking as usual, but with the current state of our campus, it is not possible.”
This was the first communicative measure taken by administration regarding the parking situation for this school year. With 457 students in this year’s senior class, many grew worried about their chances of obtaining a parking permit.
“I’m a little concerned because I don’t know where I’m supposed to park,” senior Shyla Thompson said in an interview with Fox 56 News.
On Friday, August 8, seniors who had been selected in the lottery to receive a parking pass were notified in an email sent by assistant principal BJ Martin. The email provided instructions for these seniors to obtain a parking permit.
Despite the lottery being completed prior to the first day of school, the first week of school saw a first-come-first-serve parking system, in which all student drivers could park on campus if parking spots were available.
“For the first week of school, students should park where they can until official spots are assigned,” Blackman said in an email on Tuesday, August 12, the day before the first day of school. “We understand that everyone will be worried on day one, but no one will have a parking pass until they are issued.”
The new “senior” lot began being monitored on Monday, August 18, forcing students without a parking permit to find another source of parking or transportation to and from school.
“We will continue to explore additional options for any senior that did not receive a parking [pass] due to the lottery,” Blackman said in the same email on Tuesday, August 12.
The new building is expected to open in 2028, leaving the HC community to desire an improved solution to limited student parking in the coming years.
