Finding a parking spot at Grand Junction High School has become the toughest part of the school day, as more cars than spaces leave students scrambling.
The GJHS student parking lot, which is attached to the parent drop-off area at the front entrance of the school, is currently partially unavailable for student utilization due to Marching Band practice. As of now, over 120 student parking spots are roped off and unavailable for students to use during the school day. With a little over 400 total spots in the parking lot, more than a quarter are currently unavailable.
“The new soccer and lacrosse field, which is where the marching band is supposed to practice during 8th hour and after school, didn’t take to the sod we put down over the summer, which is why they’re practicing in the roped off part of the parking lot until the field is available,” said GJHS Principal Jory Sorensen.
The new GJHS soccer and lacrosse field is expected to be finished and available for the Marching Band’s use within the first week of September. Until then, students struggling to find parking are encouraged to park on the east side of 5th Street, Hall Avenue, and Tiger Avenue.
“Parking in the parking lot is annoying because it takes forever to get out, and parking on the street is annoying because you have to walk so far. So really both options suck,“ said GJHS senior Jalen Lindsey.
Besides the issue of limited parking, increased traffic congestion has also proved a problem for students and parents. The wait to get in and out of the student parking lot and parent drop-off area has become congested, taking up to 15 minutes to an hour to exit a parking spot in extreme cases.
“Getting out of the parking lot after school takes like 15-20 minutes. Everyone’s so crammed together it makes it nearly impossible. Some of my friends park on the street just to avoid traffic,” said GJHS senior Oliver Burnham.
Last school year, the GJHS marching band practiced on the nearby Colorado Mesa University campus while the new GJHS campus was still under construction. This year, due to safety concerns that arose the previous school year, the GJHS administration decided that the student parking lot was the safest option.
“Last year we had the marching band go to CMU to practice, but it became a safety hazard with so many kids crossing 7th street to get there. After one student got struck by a vehicle we decided to prioritize student safety over convenience,” said Sorensen.
This school year, GJHS has a record-breaking number of enrolled students, now sitting at more than 2,000 — about 250 more than the previous year and 400 more than the year prior to that.
