In previous years students have been ticketed if they park in a lot not assigned to them, but this year problems have arisen that caused the parking lots to be wildly overcrowded.

Recently, students with parking permits have complained that spots are unavailable most of the time. Students pay $200 for a parking spot at the beginning of the school year with the expectation that they will have a spot in their lot, and so far this has not always been guaranteed. It is unfair that spots are not available for students that have paid in advance for the entire year.

One reason for the shortage of parking spots is that last year ETHS sold Lot Eight, across from Boocoo, loosing 59 spots as a result. In previous years, Lot Eight was never full. Only 49 spots were added to Lot One for the 2014-2015 school year.

Terrance Doby, Assistant Director of Safety, believes that students’ concerns over parking are more relevant than the faculty’s, because they paid for their spots as opposed to just being given one.

Another problem with parking is that teachers have to share lots with students. In the front lot, for example, teachers and students both park in the same lot, causing massive overlap and a lack of spots as a result.

Sophomores are now allowed to buy parking permits if they have a valid driver’s license, causing even more overcrowding. In past years, only juniors and seniors were allowed to buy parking permits.

Doby explains that this year, Safety has not ticketed students if they park in lots that do not correspond to the lot indicated on the sticker because of the decrease of parking availability.

Doby insists that until new space is acquired, there will be less space for students to park. In order to remedy the situation, ETHS needs to either buy more spots by purchasing an ETHS parking lot across from Lazier Field or limit the number of visitor spaces.

Although parking organization has been a problem, Safety should still give out tickets to students parked in the wrong lot or parked without a sticker. Ticketing illegally parked vehicles will prevent a buildup of wrongly parked cars, making the overcrowding issue much easier to deal with.