Jean-Aubrey Silvetti-Schmitt made his way out the door to head to school on a recent fall morning. He had 15 minutes until the first period bell would ring, but he had no doubt that he’d be able to make it to class on time. Thanks to his parking permit, Silvetti-Schmitt knew he would have a guaranteed parking space waiting for him near the school.As he turned onto Lake Street in search of parking availability in the student permit-designated areas, he found that there were no spots remaining. He circled the blocks containing permit-designated spaces and ended up parking two blocks from the school’s main entrance. He was ultimately late to class.

Like many students, senior Silvetti-Schmitt relies on his parking permit to get to class on time each school morning at Oak Park and River Forest High School. Though between others’ inefficient use of parking space, and the limited availability of spaces near the school’s entrance, Silvetti-Schmitt said he frequently faces the dilemma of finding a conveniently located parking space.The parking spots along Lake Street and surrounding the turf field across from the high school seem to be in high demand, usually filled by cars each morning before school.The parking spots begin to fill around 7:30 a.m., and as the minutes pass by, the number of available parking spots decreases quickly. Cars drive up and down Lake Street in both directions looking for available parking spaces nearest the school entrances.“As many students park in the mornings, they often don’t minimize the space they take up and leave large gaps between their car and other already parked cars. This takes up too much space which could be used for additional parking spots,”Silvetti-Schmitt said.

Parking permits are sold to students prior to the start of school for $240 each, according to Marian Gerena, administrative assistant in operations. “This year we purchased 170 permits from the Village of Oak Park Parking Department,” she said. “Permits were sold between July 5, 2022 until we sold out on August 9, 2022.” This system of permit sales ensures that there will be enough spots available for every permit sold. However, to accommodate each parking spot guaranteed by a student parking permit, not every spot is located close to a school entrance.Some of the parking spots–as depicted on the map–are almost two blocks from the main entrance where students enter into the building for school. The parking garage located just South of the athletic entrance is for OPRF use, though is not a viable option for student parking as it is reserved for staff and faculty. As a portion of the permit allotted parking spots are a two-block distance from the entrance into school, the substantial annual investment for these spots are no closer in proximity than the alternative parking options for students without a permit.

Senior Julia Brummell often drives to school in the morning, though without a permit. The only parking available to her is on Chicago Avenue, several blocks from school. “When I am driving to school I tend to leave my house 20 minutes before school starts, even though the drive is a solid two minutes, because walking from my car to the actual school entrance can take a while,” Brummell said. “I think that considering so many OPRF students drive to school, and many students don’t live in the same town where our school is, there should be a lot more parking opportunities than just parking on the side of a busy street that is multiple blocks away from the school,” Brummell added.

As many students face issues with parking regardless of how they get to school, there are several alternatives to keep in mind. Carpooling with other students and taking public transportation are ways to get students to school on time. Especially with a bus stop right on OPRF campus, guaranteed arrival with close proximity to school is an option many students favor to get to and from school.