Snowbanks piled high, a sheet of ice covering the ground; recent winter weather has not only taken its toll on the roads around town, but also on the parking lot at Norwood High. Many students that paid the $100 fee for a spot at school are frustrated with the current parking situation.

Abby Naughton, who brings her younger sister Liv to school every morning, is especially annoyed. Her spot has been covered by a giant snowbank since the first storm of the year. Abby had to get special permission to park in the visitor lot, but this doesn’t mean she’s guaranteed a spot every morning.

Abby says that every morning she and Liv “have to leave the house at 7:25 just to get a spot, even though [they] live only five minutes away.”

But are harsh winter conditions the only aspect contributing to the parking dilemma? No, because according to Samantha Rogala she and her twin sister Jill have had to park in the visitor lot for the majority of the year due to construction.

Sam believes that the school should give her money back because she is “parking in the visitor lot along with everyone who doesn’t have an assigned spot.”

Livvy Bedard has also faced similar parking problems to the Rogalas. She has shown up some mornings to find either orange cones or large construction vehicles in her spot. It’s only February and Livvy has already had her parking spot switched two times this school year.

Although these seniors have different reasons for parking in the visitor lot, they all have something in common. They are not pleased by parents dropping students off in the middle of the lot instead of behind the school.

Livvy says she is “very frustrated because parents should not be dropping their kids off and clogging up the visitor lot since there is a designated drop-off lane in the back.”

When kids get dropped off in the visitor lot it makes things a lot more difficult for students trying to park. Bus drivers also struggle because it creates a long line of cars blocking their way.

Chris Giovanni says that traffic in the mornings along with students getting dropped off where they shouldn’t often “delays [him] from getting into school on time.”

Staff members are also having trouble dealing with the parking lot situation. Mr. Sarianides, dean of the senior class, has had to send multiple emails reminding students not to park at the school if they don’t have an assigned spot.

Mr. Sarianides says that the school doesn’t want students parking in the visitor lot if they haven’t paid because “people that are doing it right and have paid for a spot should be the ones who can park there if they need to.”

Hopefully, the next few weeks bring warm weather to melt the snow, which would help improve some of the parking issues. Just as a friendly reminder please do not park at the school if you did not pay for a spot. Also, there is a designated drop-off lane for students and it is definitely not the visitor lot.