Illegal student parking is on the rise near Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé.
School went back into session last week. It’s the first time in more than a decade that all high school students in Juneau are under one roof, instead of splitting between two campuses.
Since classes commenced, students, parents and nearby residents are complaining that there aren’t enough parking spaces available at the high school for the additional students.
City Manager Katie Koester said the city is aware of the parking problems near the school and is working with the district to find solutions.
“The reality is that parking is tight,” she said.
According to police, some students have been blocking bus lanes, driveways and taking up space in the faculty parking area.
Before school started, the district tried to mitigate parking issues by implementing a “park and ride” service where students could park at Thunder Mountain Middle School and bus over to Juneau-Douglas.
Superintendent Frank Hauser said that’s still a viable option for students to take advantage of. He said this isn’t the high school’s first time dealing with this many students on campus.
“Juneau-Douglas High School once had about 1,900 students, and currently, that’s hundreds of students less, now, than it had at its peak enrollment,” he said. “So that’s something to consider as we look at the spaces that are down there.”
Hauser said the district isn’t considering the idea of building a parking garage or additional structures for parking. However, it is looking at ways to work with the city, state and University of Alaska Southeast to find open spots at the Marine Tech building and the nearby harbors.
Mayor Beth Weldon — who is up for reelection this October — is also concerned about the issue. She said she hopes spots open as soon as possible.
“We are taking this very seriously,” she said. “But as you can imagine, it takes a little time trying to figure out who can give up what spots.”
A spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities said the state is also looking into the parking issue.