Previously, if Pioneer students arrived at school on time they were able to find a spot close to the school, either in the so-called “staff parking lot,” which is used by very few staff, or in the front student parking lot. During this time Pioneer encouraged students to purchase a parking pass so that they could park in the front lot but many students believed they did not enforce this policy. Because the parking policy was lenient, students often parked in the staff lot, the student lot, and the Ann Arbor Transit Authority lot — all without a parking pass.

Now, with a renewed enforcement of the student parking policy,  students have limited parking options as well as greater concerns about getting tickets or even towed. According to the official Pioneer parking policy posted to the school’s website, students are only allowed to park in the student lot. Students who paid for a parking pass are able to park in the front of the student parking lot while students who did not pay for a parking pass have to park in the back of the student parking lot. 

Students feel like they have been negatively affected by the newly strict parking policy.

Students now are struggling to find parking in the early morning as well as leaving after the final bell rings. Because of the increase of students parking in the student parking lot it is very difficult to find spots close to the school.

“Last year I got here at like 7:51 everyday and I would get one of the close spots now today I got here at 7:50 and there were no close spots so I had to park all the way in the back lot by the exit” said Kai Sylvester, a senior at Pioneer. 

Besides the morning,  people are a also having an issue at the end of the da struggling to leave the crowded parking lot.

“At the end of the day when you are trying to get out and there is a whole line of people going left onto main it is impossible to get out of the parking lot,” said Sylvester.

Even though students feel like they are being hurt by the policy there are positives that come back to the school.  The school gained a lot of money from these passes “$1390 as of right now is how much the school has made,” according to Melissa Hosman, Main Office Professional.

The money that is brought in from these passes is put right back into the school. The parking pass money is spread out between many programs across the school “Part of it (parking pass money) goes to classrooms, prom, maintenance/upkeep things, and short fixings,” said Hosman.

Compared to last year the parking policy seems to be a lot stricter and worse to students. But, in reality the parking policy implemented now by the school has drawbacks as well as positives.