High school comes with all kinds of new responsibilities. Things like harder classes, more homework, new clubs, and sports. But as you’re getting older, you gain things in your life as well, like the ability to drive. And with that privilege, you now have new kinds of independence and are able to take yourself places, like school. All kinds of students drive themselves to school and need a place to park, which usually would just mean you’d drive to the student parking lot and park in the first open spot you see, but at Chelsea High School, we have implemented new rules, assigning specific spots to students and charging money for It as well. 

“I used to just park here and there, wherever I wanted,” senior Wyatt Sisler said.

Before the 2025-26 school year, people would usually just park wherever they found a spot, and it worked for the longest time. But now with the new rules, there are many restrictions (assigned parking spots, numbered hang tags in cars, etc) and questions about how it all will work out throughout the year.

“I don’t know how they’re gonna police all of that,” Sisler said. “What if someone parks in the wrong spot?” 

Although some of the rules might not be loved by all the students, the fee is definitely appreciated, only 20 dollars, especially considering what other schools have to pay, some even being upwards of 90 dollars.

“I don’t think it’s too expensive,” senior Cody Kennard said. “I think a lot of schools pay a lot more than 20 dollars.”

Students are skeptical about how the rules will be enforced, along with how the rest of the student body as a whole will work together, considering everyone has to go exactly in the same spot every day, for nothing to go wrong. 

“I’m not sure how it will work, because people are just going to take the spots they want to,” Kennard said. 

Now the assigned parking does not make any major difference to parking; students just feel as if it’s a little unnecessary to go to a specific spot instead of parking wherever.

“I feel like students should be able to park wherever they want,” Sisler said.