As more and more people drive to school due to the busing cuts, many adjustments to the parking lot rules have been made. Some changes are not just for safety, but for security of the campus.

The first change came in preparation for a new Brevard County School District rule.

“The Brevard County School District security is eventually going to have all schools with a single point of entry,” School Resource Officer Chuck Landmesser said. “This means everybody will go through the same gate to facilitate a secure campus. One of the main concerns we’ve had over the years is the back gate on the track was left open all day because we had students coming and going. Finally we decided to shut that gate and just leave this one gate open for students. Anybody who’s going to Eastern Florida or comes in late either has to park on that track because of a doctor’s appointment or [can park in] the twenty spots saved for them.”

Landmesser was outside on Monday, checking people’s parking passes as they came into the student parking lot.

“Unfortunately what happened was Friday there was an accident after school and it involved a student who did not have a parking permit yet,” Landmesser said. “So if they hadn’t been out there in the lot, they probably could have avoided the accident. So that’s why [I was checking people’s passes].”

The grace period for students parking on campus without a parking pass ended Friday, according to Landmesser.

New to driving to school, junior Kara Dubec-Hunter likes some of the changes.

“I like how they limited the amount of people that can park in the student lot and put the rest on the track because it’s not as crowded,” Dubec-Hunter said. “It kinda [stinks] for the people on the track, but it’s good for me.”

Another change to the parking situation are the cones that were set up Thursday.

“I found out that they were having a donut social for parents every third Thursday of the month,” Landmesser said. “They’ll meet in the auditorium just to come and talk and see how the school year is going and its just a nice way to make it a family atmosphere. So they asked that certain spots be saved for people. Depending upon the turnout, that might get adjusted. We don’t want to disrupt everybody on the Thursday coming in for school.”

Principal Rick Fleming has also made a request that for the first 15 minutes after dismissal students leaving the student parking lot to not go down Wildcat Alley because it is adding to the traffic congestion.

By Helen McSorley