Ongoing parking shortage at LHS frustrates students, staff and residents

Jennifer Thomas | Lehi Free Press

Limited student parking at Lehi High School is causing significant problems for both students and the surrounding community. Students report arriving late to class due to the difficulty of finding a parking spot. Meanwhile, residents face blocked driveways and obstructed access to mailboxes and garbage collection because of vehicle overflow from the campus.

The district continues to grow, ranking as one of the largest in the state, even as Alpine School District prepares for a split, it has seen the second-largest enrollment increase in the last decade. Record-high enrollment figures were recorded in 2023 when Lehi High School’s enrollment was 2,105 students.

According to Lehi High School, there are 527 student parking spaces available, 69 faculty spaces, and 21 spaces allocated for visitors. For the current school year, Lehi High School sold over 800 parking passes for students, but the 800 parking passes exceeded the number of available student parking spaces.

“I think it is very inconvenient that we don’t have enough parking for students at Lehi High School,” said senior student Gracie Tait. “The administration sold way more parking passes than spots they actually have to offer.”

“We sell more parking passes than we have stalls in order to maximize our available parking spaces. Many students are not on campus at all times, as they are enrolled in off-campus programs, such as MTEC. We will continue to monitor and evaluate this policy to ensure it meets our students’ needs,” said a Lehi High School staff member.

Student parking concerns are not a new issue at Lehi High School. The lack of available parking at the school has been a point of frustration for the students and the community for several years.

In 2018, at a Lehi Planning Commission Meeting, “Frank Pulley Jr., Director of Physical Facilities for Alpine School District (ASD), presented the concept for the final build out of Lehi High School. Members of the Planning Commission pointed out that the finished school can accommodate 2,000 students, but that the final plans were short on parking by 298 stalls. At that time, Pulley told the Planning Commission that they would have to limit the number of parking permits issued to students. When former Commissioner Heather Seegmiller asked if the ASD had any other ideas to alleviate the parking situation, Pulley answered, ‘Not at this time.’ Pulley also said ASD has no plan to extend 300 North through to 850 East to help the traffic flow, but they may consider it later.”

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“Lehi High School remodeled the school to fit more students. I wish they had taken parking into account with the remodel,” said Gracie Tait.

The parking problem frustrates many residents who live in neighborhoods near the high school. Driveways are being blocked, and mail and garbage services are routinely obstructed.

“There have been times when students have moved our garbage cans from the curb to the sidewalk to be able to park and obstruct garbage pickup, or it can also be a problem for mail delivery, because at times they will park in front of the mailboxes,” said Lehi resident Arthur Harding.

“When I come home, I park my work vehicle and trailer in front of my house so I can step up on the curb and unload in front of my house, which makes it easier when I have a large workload,” said Harding. “I can’t do that when students are parked in front of my house.

“Sometimes the student vehicles are parked in front of the house all day. Students who are involved in sports or activities often park their cars there until after 6 or 7 p.m., and I am unable to unload my work vehicles. If I want to use the front of my house for loading or unloading, I have to park my two personal vehicles in front of the house early in the morning with the permits showing so no one else can park there, and then I can use it to load or unload for work,” added Harding.

The Lehi Police Department (LPD) is aware of the problem. “Lehi Police Code Enforcement has taken a total of three calls on the parking situation for the school year thus far, and our Patrol Lieutenant has taken a total of six calls. The majority of the calls they took were from individuals or parents who received warnings on their vehicles for being parked in the incorrect areas. The Lieutenant believes that around 300 warnings have been issued on vehicles,” said the LPD Records Manager regarding parking violations around the high school.

The LPD added, “We have been giving warnings to help educate students on the restrictions, and we will begin issuing parking citations for those parking in the restricted areas without a permit.”

The administration at Lehi High School has addressed parking concerns and designated a dedicated employee to implement and enforce parking policies on school grounds.

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“We have a dedicated parking attendant who monitors and enforces parking in our school lots. Ultimately, it is my administrative team’s responsibility to ensure that our policies and guidelines are followed and implemented correctly,” said Lehi High School Principal Aaron Barth.

Administrators are working closely with parents and property owners to address concerns and collaborate on finding solutions.

“We are working closely with our students to reinforce where they are and are not allowed to park. Our administration and staff have personally visited many of the homes surrounding the school, which led to positive conversations with neighbors. We want to continue partnering with our community to foster a respectful and supportive school–community environment,” said Barth.

Barth said that the parking needs at the high school are a “frequent topic of discussion, and potential short-and long-term solutions are being evaluated.” Barth also mentioned he is engaged in “ongoing communication with district leadership and school board members” regarding the development of additional parking space.

“The parking problem lies with the district, and the district needs to remedy the problem. The district has known for years that the parking was not adequate, and they continue to remodel the school without consideration,” said Lehi resident Karla Harding.

At this time, students cannot park at the nearby church owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 481 East 300 North, during school hours.

“The church has chosen to keep the gates locked. We remain in regular communication with the church’s Facilities Management group and are hopeful that in the future an arrangement may be made to open the gates for school use,” said Barth.

Recognizing the parking deficit at the school, the city administration has initiated efforts to develop and implement solutions.

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“Lehi City has offered 148 parking stalls at the Lehi Outdoor Pool located at 451 East 200 South for student use and is also working to provide additional street parking,” said Jeanteil Livingston, Communications Manager for Lehi City.

“The city has opened up parking at the outdoor pool, but that is a long walk, and I imagine it will be more challenging when it gets cold and snowy,” said Tait.

Though a quick resolution isn’t possible, administrators and Lehi City are dedicating time and effort to improving the school’s parking situation.

“My friends who can get parking spots arrive at school around 7:10 a.m. or earlier. I have never arrived more than 30 minutes before school starts, so I have to find a place to park on the road because there aren’t any parking spaces left at the school. I am a senior this year. This is the first time I have purchased a parking pass, and I haven’t even been able to use it,” said Tait.

“There isn’t a quick or easy fix for parking at Lehi High. However, we are actively engaged in finding solutions. I have spoken with the mayor, city council members, and Lehi City staff about a variety of possibilities. We are committed to pursuing both immediate and long-term options to support our students and improve the overall experience for our community,” said Barth.