Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
The basketball courts at SHS have been striped, which doesn't leave much room for playing, but does solve a temporary parking problem.
SHS eases parking crunch
By Leigh Ann Maze
After paying for several expensive parking tickets for students and staff who parked in disabled zones for lack of spaces at Saratoga High School, the SHS administration has come up with a solution to ease the parking crunch.
The entire surface of the asphalt basketball courts in front of the school was striped in mid-May, which adds about 130 parking spaces to the already existing 375 spaces, according to principal Kevin Skelly. The basketball courts received a new surface, as well as striping for parking and basketball games.
Although the parking problem may have been eased, there is not much room to play basketball during the day when the lot is full of student's cars. Skelly said the school is considering designating some areas for basketball only and hopes to keep the lot closed to cars on weekends so people can use the basketball courts.
The parking project was fully funded by the Measure B school bond as part of the renovated parking and circulation plan, according to Skelly. While the bond measure has helped ease the parking problem, it is also hurting it. Temporary storage bins in the back parking lot, the new science building and other bond measure projects now under way are expected to be constructed by next fall and will swallow up 75 precious parking spots. The current construction workers park their vehicles in SHS lots during school hours, too, Skelly said.
The school is working on plans to pave the one-tenth of a mile-long strip of land between the high school and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, Skelly said. That should add about 50 parking spots by end of June.
About 20 old fruit trees would have to be removed to pave the area for parking. The trees are some of the few remnants of the apricot, prune, walnut and cherry orchards that were once part of the Worden Ranch, established on the land in 1905. The land was taken over by eminent domain in 1955 to build the high school.
Much of the parking problem is the result of a growing student body, many of whom drive to school. SHS students have not had school busing since the early 1970s, according to vice principal Karen Hyde.
When he first became principal seven years ago, there were about 900 students, Skelly said. Today there are some 1,200, and there will be an estimated 1,280 students next year, he said. The numbers are expected to increase, at least for the next few years, and possibly longer. Skelly said SHS has not yet decided whether to restrict student parking next year.
SHS senior Bryce Kurtz-Fenster organized a student parking committee of nine students that represented every class level. "We want to give our suggestions to Dr. Skelly," Kurtz-Fenster said. The student group has been meeting since Jan. 25, to discuss the problem.
Several suggestions came from the student group, including splitting student parking into half permit-only and half first-come, first-served; or restricting all parking to permits only, which would be sold on a seniority basis.
With the loss of some parking spots and the gain of others, there will be about 520 parking spots to accommodate 1,280 students and 125 staff, handicapped and visitor parking spots at the start of the next school year, Skelly said. When construction is finished at the school, Skelly estimates a total of 620 parking spaces.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
