When the Ralston Valley newsletter came out this past July, the issue of parking permits being limited to juniors and seniors caused a bit of an uproar.

Sophomores, especially those who can drive or would be getting their license this school year, were irritated at being left out.

“We don’t have enough parking,” Ralston Valley principal Mr. Gavan Goodrich simply stated.

“Since the summer, we have been working with the district facility leaders about our need for additional parking,” Goodrich added. “They’ve given us three or four different options and we sat down with them and talked about which options worked best for our facilities right now and our usage of the space on campus.”

One of those options included adding additional parking to the north of the building, just west of Alkire and east of the field shared by soccer, lacrosse and marching band.

“We came to the conclusion that the best place to put parking would be in the back of the school,” Goodrich said.

Many people have been skeptical of the construction going on behind the school, along with rumors as to how this space will be utilized.

Rumors aside, this space will be used for a new parking lot, set to open sometime in November.

“When is it going be ready? That’s up in the air,” stated Jimmy Guss, head of RV’s campus security. “There’s still some logistics on how it’s going to work, and that’s why we don’t have a deadline.

“The moment we do know [when the parking lot will be ready],” Guss added, “we will let people know via the announcements.”

Even with the additional spaces, not every student with a driver’s license and a car will be able to purchase a parking pass.

“It will be lottery based,” said Guss, discussing how students will be selected to receive a permit to the new lot. “We will start a totally different list for this lot.”

Tessa Petersen

The list will include the remaining names on the current waiting list, and will possibly open up to sophomores, too.

“It depends on what we look at when we have that list,” Guss said. “I’m trying to fight for (opening it up to sophomores), but I don’t know that it will happen. If we did allow sophomores to park this year, it wouldn’t happen again because this school is just too big.”

Since not every parking accommodation will be met, Goodrich envisions that some irritation will remain.

“Will it eliminate a concern for parking lot for every student to park at RV who wants to park?” Goodrich asked rhetorically. “It may, temporally, but there will always be a need for parking.

“The school has over 1,400 sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled,” Goodrich added, “and we only have 600 – plus, possibly another 100 to 150 (with the new lot) — slots available for a lot of kids who want to park.”

Goodrich would like to accommodate every parking request, but it is virtually impossible.

“We are just trying to make the best of a limiting space situation,” Goodrich said. “Students also have public parking (on Alkire St.) to use as well, so I think everybody that wants to drive to school can drive to school. We are not limiting anybody’s ability to drive to school if they choose to do so.”