by Emma Shuster ’18

As soon as students get their license, they look for excuses to drive anywhere. And although they typically do well on roads when surrounded by experienced drivers, this is not the case in a school parking lot.

School parking lots consist of mostly new drivers who are still becoming acclimated to being behind the wheel as well as learning the responsibility of becoming a driver. After school, however, students typically race to their cars and out of the parking lot in order to beat the busses and avoid the horrible traffic. They do this with complete disregard for the respect and safety of others. Many students cut off one another (walking and driving) and speed out very unsafely. Yes, one or two security members stand at the end of the parking lot, occasionally stopping cars to let more busses out, but this is not enough.

Many accidents take place every year in school parking lots or right near the school. Sherwood  must put a high priority on ensuring the safety of their students and faculty. Sherwood should utilize the presence of more than one security guard or other staff members to diminish the chaos in the parking lot after school, and scatter across the parking lot instead of just one place. Currently, one or two security guards stand at the end of the parking lot near the exit, leaving the rest of the parking lot a free-for-all,  administration should place additional staff in various parts of the parking lot. For instance, one can stand near the upper lot, one on each side of the circle, one in the ends of each row, etc. They can assist students with who has the right of way when driving. With their assistance and guidance, students can exit the parking lot after school in a quicker, safer, and more efficient manner. If Sherwood chooses to not use their security guards after school, perhaps they can hire or find volunteer traffic monitors, to direct the daily 2:30 rush from school.

If safety is truly a concern of Sherwood, the school should commit to diminishing the amount of chaos in its parking lots after school. With proper guidance of maintaining appropriate parking lot behavior, these new drivers can become better equipped with skills they can use for the rest of their lives. With the end of the school year approaching very quickly, this is the perfect time for schools to test this new system before the 2018-2019 school year begins.