As of the 2023-2024 school year, Camas High School (CHS) has added senior-exclusive parking spots for students at $100 each. In the past, CHS has only offered unassigned $45 spots to any student with a valid driver’s license. CHS Administrative Assistant Kelly Gourde and Athletics Director and Associate Principal Stephen Baranowski made the switch to assigned parking possible.
“It was fun watching the seniors paint the spots. They were very creative. It went a lot better than we thought it was going to go. Everyone was mature about it,” Gourde said.
However, the exclusivity caused many students to want a personal, customized spot, overloading the small availability.
Gourde said that 379 students filled out the form for the senior parking spots, while only 80 spaces were available, making the demand much higher than the supply. Instead of a lottery system, CHS operated using a first-come-first-serve method, meaning anyone who filled out the form within the first 80 people was offered a spot.
Adding senior parking spots has been a significant success for the CHS administration. Senior commentary was highly positive when speaking to a lucky few who acquired a spot.
“I can arrive at school much later when I know I have a spot right in front of the school,” CHS senior Charlotte Cox said.
In light of the school’s traffic, a reserved spot is a relief for many students who had the opportunity to buy one.
CHS senior Grace-Morgan Lukens, another student who bought a spot, said that if given the chance, she would undoubtedly repurchase one. Cox agreed.
“I used to get here 40 minutes earlier than I do now,” Lukens said.
Among other things, this has been very beneficial to her sleep schedule. She also mentioned that having an exclusive spot has allowed her to sleep in a lot while maintaining the ability to walk in on time consistently rather than getting to school at an unforgivingly early hour.
One notable difference between the senior and standard spots is the price. Last year, all parking spots were $45. This year, however, they dropped the typical spots to $20 with the addition of senior parking, which costs $100 per spot. However, that drastic drop caused a significant decrease in the usual funds made through buying parking passes.
“We lost money … Mr. Baranowski and Mr. Sanford were talking about raising the prices of the normal spots,” Gourde said.
In future years, the price of the standard parking spots may go back up to the usual $45 instead of the discounted $20 to compensate for this year’s losses.
In addition to the high price of personal parking, seniors had to buy their paint and brushes to customize their spots with pre-approved designs.
“It cost a lot to paint it and a lot to buy it, but the lack of frustration of finding a parking spot is worth it,” Cox said.
Overall, students and staff are happy with how this new system has turned out and excited to see the start of a new CHS tradition.
