We, the undersigned, support the elimination of parking in assigned areas from the current parking policy at Souhegan High School. With the exception of reserved spaces and faculty lots, all provided parking areas on school property will be filled on a “first come, first serve” basis. Students will still require a permit on their car but will be able to park wherever they choose.

Currently, a lot is allocated to each grade and the closest spaces given to senior students. The security of obtaining a parking space in an already-known destination can lead to tardy students and class interruptions due to a lack of motivation, according to Amy Lambert, a junior at Souhegan. In fact, according to a table published by the National Center for Education Statistics, during the 2011-2012 school year, 45.3% of secondary school teachers in the U.S. agreed that student tardiness and class cutting interfered with their teaching. Because students will not be guaranteed a spot, first come, first serve parking will encourage them to obtain a closer spot, and therefore to arrive at school on time.

Not only will there be less interruptions in class, but there will be less traffic too. With a reduced amount of students trying to get to the place at the same time, the roads will open up providing safer bus routes and eliminating the annoyance for working citizens.

Lisa Lambert, a researcher at Fidelity Investments described the parking system at the company, which is first come, first serve. During an interview, Lambert mentioned that covered spaces are provided for the employees and that on snowy days, she is encouraged to get to work early because there are limited spaces. It provides a reward for rule-abiding workers and therefore motivates employees. She also feels that when co-workers are on time, they show respect for their peers and superiors, which is a necessary trait in the working world. If high school is preparing students for the working world, our school should emulate as many aspects of the workplace as possible.