Every summer, hundreds of Fauquier High School (FHS) students are given the opportunity to purchase their own parking spot on campus. The price is $100 (plus an additional $5 in online service fees), and it guarantees students safe parking on school grounds. “If you pay the money to park on campus, you have secure parking,” said Assistant Principal Diana Story. For some students, the price may feel expensive, but there is a clear and reasonable explanation behind the cost.
Over the years, the parking spot distribution system at FHS has developed and evolved into what administrators say is its most convenient form yet. “This year, we let students choose their parking spot instead of assigning it,” Story said. The process begins with students filling out a Google Form determining the best spot based on vehicle size and student preference. After reviewing submissions, Story assigns parking spaces using a large campus map. The system is all about “first come, first serve.” Seniors are given priority when it comes to choosing lots.
Despite the relatively high cost, FHS does not offer a reduced fee option for students who may not be able to afford the full amount. “You’re already paying for insurance, gas and other car expenses. So for us, $100 doesn’t seem like much,” said Story.
However, there are exceptions. Students who receive their license later in the school year are eligible for a reduced parking rate. Story noted, “If you’re only here for half a year or get your license in February or March, you get a cut rate.”
As the school year progresses, the 298-spot parking lot fills up quickly. “We’re probably 90% full. There are still a few spots, mainly in the lower lot,” Story said. According to Brenda Lawrence, Office Associate III of FHS Finance Office, 184 student parking spots had been sold by the midpoint of the fall-winter semester.
Some students who cannot or choose not to pay the parking fee opt to park elsewhere, most notably in the Food Lion supermarket parking lot in Warrenton, Va.. Located just a short walk from FHS, the lot has become a convenient, but unauthorized, alternative. Over time, however, this off-campus parking trend has caused problems for the businesses and property owners in that area. “Food Lion has said if students are parking there, they will be towed,” Story warned.
Nicholas Kalis, the landlord of Food Lion, said the issue has improved recently. “The tenant who complains isn’t complaining anymore. So I assume the problem is mostly resolved,” he said. But Kalis isn’t sure the issue is gone. Despite reaching out to FHS administrators for cooperation, he believes “[Students] will forget about my warnings and…the problem will reoccur.”
On school days, a “dozen or more” student cars can be seen parked in the shopping center lot. Kalis has developed a system to identify those vehicles. “[The tenant takes] photos of anybody who’s been [at the parking lot] for an unusual amount of time,” he explained.
To address the situation, Kalis uses warning stickers. “I put stickers on windshields and only partially peel off the backing. I try to show a little mercy,” he said. “If the tenant complains again, we’ll put more stickers and we can tow”
Despite frustrations from tenants and customers, Kalis has compassion. “I have some sympathy for the kids,” he said. “I’m not quick to tow. Let it stay a couple of weeks. Why add to someone’s personal crisis?”
While some students try to dodge the $100 fee, others are simply curious about where the money goes. According to FCPS Assistant Superintendent of Business and Planning, Prashant Shrestha, “Fees across the state range from $75 to $200…our School Division is in the middle of the bell-curve.”
Altogether, from the three FCPS high schools—Fauquier High, Liberty High, and Kettle Run—around $80,000 is collected annually through parking fees. That amount represents just 0.045% of the FHS $13.4 million operating budget. The funds are deposited into the school’s operating revenue account and help cover general expenses. “The parking fees are part of the general revenue that pay for all the people, supplies, materials and equipment…[in] FHS – including the parking lot,” Shrestha said.
Even so, parking lot maintenance at FHS remains a concern. “Our lots need to be redone, relined and renumbered. It hasn’t been done for years,” said Story. “In the lower lot, you can’t even see the lines anymore.”
Story has requested updates, but funding hasn’t come through yet. “They have a list of priorities across FCPS…We might not be at the top,” she said. Still, she stays optimistic: “We’re hopeful. Always hopeful.”
So, while the parking fee is within the average range and contributes to school operations, some students continue looking for cheaper alternatives, and FHS continues hoping for long-needed parking lot upgrades.
