Due to our large student population, the main student parking lot generally fills up pretty fast, leaving few options for students to park their cars for the school day. Because of this, some students have resorted to parking in the handicapped parking spots for the day, and have been doing this for years with no administrative backlash.

Violations skipped over the regular $15 tickets from Texas High. On Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, tickets from the Texarkana Police Department were issued for these parking violations, carrying a hefty fine of $600, and they will be issued from now on.

“On Tuesday, I parked in one of the handicapped spots and was called out of class to go talk to the cops about it,” senior Lakyn Austin said. “I was given a ticket and I asked if I needed to move my car but they said no. If it’s such a big deal to park in those spots, why didn’t I need to move my car?”

Students are upset by these citations because no warnings were administered prior to the tickets being given out.

“Students have parked in these handicapped spots all year,” Austin said. “We were confused because out of the blue, with no warning, they just started handing out tickets.”

At Texas High, we have a total of five parking lots. The main student parking lot, the Math and Science Building teacher parking lot, the Kennedy Lane teacher and DECA parking lot, the parking lots at the softball and baseball fields and the parking lot at the Multi-Purpose Building.

Throughout the school year, students weren’t allowed in the Math and Science parking lot and only DECA and Leadership kids were allowed in the Kennedy Lane parking lot. The gates to access the Multi and the baseball and softball fields are closed to students in the morning.

With that being said, with the main student parking lot filling up so swiftly, students were left with limited places to park.

“When students park anywhere else on campus we get in trouble, but where else are we supposed to park when the entire student parking lot is so full that we have to park in handicapped spots, or even the white stripes in front of the walkway?” Austin said. “I think a warning should’ve been given before being fined over half a thousand dollars.”

These tickets are going to continue to be issued for the remainder of the year. If students park in undesignated parking areas or lack proper parking credentials, there will be consequences. “Students have not been parking in the designated parking areas,” Assistant Principal William Harris said. “If students are parked inappropriately or without the appropriate parking pass they will be issued school tickets/fines by the TISD police department.”