by Lauren Holzmann | staff writer

While many students got the white half-sheet and the parking pass first semester, several students were still left without. Now that marching season is over and UIL is quickly approaching, administration has taken advantage of the opportunity to allow more students to park on campus.

 “We anticipate 50 additional parking spaces will become available,” assistant principal, David Bordelon said.

 In order to make the spaces available, the administration is now allowing the band students to park on the band pad. The additional parking permits will be distributed throughout the next couple of weeks. First priority being seniors, and any remaining passes will be handed out to juniors.

 “In the event that we have less than fifty seniors apply, all seniors will receive a parking permit,” David Bordelon said. “Now, in the rare event that we have less than 50 seniors apply for the existing permits, we will then solicit junior applications beginning early next week and we will put all of those into a lottery regardless of how many there are and then do a drawing late next week.”

 With the population continuing to grow uncontrollably, the future junior classes will not have as many opportunities to park.

 “Just from what I know and the fact that Johnson continues to grow in enrollment, that parking will continue to be a premium here and that fewer and fewer juniors, unfortunately, in the future,  will likely be able to obtain a parking permit,” said Bordelon.

 Some also may wonder if Johnson is the only school with this parking issue.

 “Places particularly like Reagan, I probably would have comparable issues,” Bordelon said, “Madison, due to the fact that they have had an extensive renovation and actually the building of a new science facility, with an adjacent parking lot, Madison may be in an unusual circumstance, [in] that they have enough parking spots and they can give it to as many kiddos as they want but they are [also] a big campus.”

 Several have wondered what the future may hold for student parking and even suggested options to widen the number of spaces.

 “The district has asked all the high school principals to look at their facilities and put together a wish list. This wish list would be the blueprint for a forthcoming bond election,” Bordelon explained.

This bond election presents an opportunity for all of the high schools in NEISD to get their campus wish lists of what they would like to improve fulfilled.

“I know that sidewalks would be one of the things around campus, and then also down Bulverde Road, some landscaping, possibly a new building because even though we are the newest high school, I believe that we are the smallest high school in terms of square footage and so a new set of classrooms would be probably something on the list, “ Bordelon said, “and then certainly if it’s a wish list I would think that parking might be one of the things that we would put on there.”

However, until then, students will be neck in neck trying to fight to get a chance to park on campus and yet again, many will be left without.

“As Mr. Mehlbrech would say, we would love to give a parking permit to everyone that wanted one,” Bordelon said.