This year, a limited number of senior parking passes at North Central left many students scrambling and frustrated during the first few weeks of the school year.
With only 200 spots available in the senior lot, demand for a senior parking pass was high, and the supply was low. According to school secretary Katelyn Catalanotto, the process was simple but strict.
“There were 200 slots available in the senior lot, and since all seniors qualified, all they had to do was be a senior,” Catalanotto said. “During Panther Prep, we handed out a few, and then after the first day of school, I had run out of spaces.”
For many students, such as senior Ella Fergeson, missing out on the initial sign-up window caused major inconveniences.
“It was kind of annoying,” Fergeson said. “I couldn’t walk in with my friends in the morning, because they were all parked in the senior lot. And in the winter months, I will still have to make the long walk in.”
Fergeson explained that she missed the original sign-up because she was away at a ballet intensive.
“The last pass sold right in front of me,” Fergeson said.
After a few weeks, Fergeson was eventually called to the office and offered a spot when one opened up.
“They put me on the list and then called me down to the dean’s office and gave me one,” Fergeson said.
The shortage has sparked complaints from other seniors who were also left out.
“I’ve gotten a lot of upset seniors, which is totally fair,” Catalanotto said. “The fairest system would probably have been to have enough spaces for all the seniors we have. But that’s not something we could do. With construction, we’re stuck with what we’ve got.”
To manage the situation, the office has been keeping a running list of seniors in the order they requested passes. When spaces become available, those students are contacted first.
Despite these efforts, the frustration is understandable for students who feel left out of a senior privilege. For now, administrators say they’ll continue to work with the limited spots they have while exploring long-term solutions to better accommodate future classes.
“I keep track of every senior in the order in which they purchased a parking pass because it’s first-come, first-served,” Catalanotto said.
