Campus security Gene Morris drives into the staff parking lot, shocked to see that there are no more spaces, students, without permits, have been parking in all the lots they aren’t allowed to park in.
When Poway High took over regulating parking from the city of Poway two years ago, new fees, rules, and processes were set in place.
Now, appeals for tickets go straight to Principal Richard Nash and not the city of Poway. He has the authority to pardon tickets, and as much as he wants to see students succeed, he says, “It is the students’ own responsibility to park where they are supposed to, as they are growing into adults”.
The parking process starts with getting a license from the DMV, completing a Start Smart driving course (with a guardian), and getting a sticker (for no cost) from the office. Students who want a permit for an additional vehicle must pay for an additional sticker.
Parking permits are also for protection. “It’s a way to identify cars to make sure they belong on campus. It’s more of a safety thing,” Campus Security Gene Morris says.
Each permit has a different number on it which allows staff to recognize cars in case of emergency and to ensure everyone who is on campus is supposed to be.
This year, the school is thinking of switching things up. “We are examining right now whether or not the Start Smart class continues to be a requirement. The thought is that it may go away as early as January 1,” Nash said.
This course might be removed because it is an outside organization and requires students to take a class outside of school. According to Principal Nash, there is no data that backs up whether or not the course actually helps student drivers achieve more success. “We want you to be successful, so we’re trying to eliminate those obstacles because we want you to have them”, Nash says.
The cost of tickets are no different than those issued by the City of Poway. .
Most tickets come from parking without a permit, which qualifies as parking on private property without permission.
“Kids in the lots without permits are the reason that kids with permits cannot find parking,” Morris said.
Many students face the issue of finding parking in the lot closest to the N-buildings, which results in parking in places they should not. The most common excuse for parking illegally is that students were running late, however, Nash notes, “It’s part of adulting, which is required when you are driving, that you get to somewhere in enough time to not have to worry about parking and tickets” Principal Nash would like to remind students that they can park in other lots. Most of the time, tickets are around $53 dollars, but if unpaid it will keep getting more expensive, reaching up to around $200 dollars.
Tickets, although given by Poway High, belong to the county, so do not ignore them. When people with unpaid tickets go to renew their vehicle registration they must pay the fine or they will not be allowed to register the vehicle.
Although the school might not have enough parking for all 2000+ students, they have enough space for all drivers to park, keeping in mind the 9th and 10th graders who do not drive yet.
