LM students, long aware of loose regulations regarding parking, are now having to adjust to a parking crackdown.
This year, LM administration gathered together to discuss the effect of student parking outside of campus. There have always been rules against parking off-campus, but not many faced consequences. This year, the first cases of punishment have started appearing. A student was suspended for parking off campus in two-hour parking, and others have been reprimanded for similar incidents.
According to Jason Stroup, LM’s Activities and Athletics Director, this has been coming for a long time. Stroup said that “offenders who go out to park their cars in the middle of the day will face disciplinary consequences. This is not a new policy… it’s been there for decades.” Students, prior to this year, have been able to park in the neighborhood surrounding campus with relatively little to no issues. Earlier this year, they were frequently parking in Suburban Square, which caused nearby employees to raise concerns to school administrators. After the issue continued, administrators finally began to consistently act on the persistent rule breaking. “Our assistant principals are trying to be as consistent as they can across the board, and I think Mr. Capkin is probably involved in this too… if a student continues to move their car, then it’s dealt with on a case-by-case basis,” said Stroup.
The first student who’s willing to go on the record as being suspended for a violation related to parking off-campus in recent years is Yasmin Schmieder ’26, who was not pleased with her treatment. “I was aware that moving one’s car in two-hour parking was not preferred or encouraged, but I did not know it was strictly prohibited… there was no transparency about what the punishment would be.” Stroup denied this point, saying, “There is no such thing as two-hour parking. We are a closed campus, so you aren’t allowed to move your car during the day.” The lack of awareness is spread throughout LM as many students can be seen walking out of school during lunch or other sets to move their cars. LM’s policies “had become stricter in the second half of the year, but this change was never communicated to me or other students,” said Schmeider. Other students, like Quinn Veacock ’26, denied this, saying, “the rules are in the student handbook together. You should be able to follow them.”
Many students leave their cars in two-hour parking, taking breaks throughout the day to move their cars so they are not fined or towed. LM is a closed campus, so students are not supposed to leave the building at any time. Stroup says, “The student handbook says that you can go to your car during school hours if you are entering or leaving. You can’t leave the building to move your car, especially if it’s off campus.”
Many students have also been outspoken about the need for additional parking. Currently, students must enter a lottery and then pay to see if they will receive a parking space in the on-campus lots, but this system is heavily disliked, as Drew Shapiro ’25 says. “We need more parking spaces for students. We shouldn’t have to win a lottery just to be able to get to school faster.” LM had previously considered making Butcher Field, the area behind LM, into a parking lot, which many students supported. Veacock continued, saying that “Student parking is horrible. We need enough parking spots for all seniors next year.” However, many students, especially those who practice on the field, opposed the motive. Jonah Glass ’28 said, “The school shouldn’t be clearing its own field space just to make a new parking lot. For me and the many other students who practice here, that would mean we would have nowhere to practice. What would we do then?”
The school had considered paving Butcher Field to expand student parking, which is currently capped at 55 spots, but it proved impossible for the school district to do. “The township and the district look at the amount of impervious space,” Stroup said, referring to the area that water could runoff into. “We are fully saturated, we can’t pave another thing. It isn’t feasible to add parking across the street [next to Arnold Field] either.”
The student handbook outlines all of the regulations for student parking for Harriton High School, but says for LM that the same rules apply, adding that “There are limited numbers of on-site parking for students. These spaces will be issued to seniors only through a lottery system.”
The issue of student parking at LM remains unresolved. Many students are unaware of the parking regulations, and the hiring of more teachers has limited available spots. Although student enrollment is expected to decrease due to some areas being reassigned to Harriton High School, LM still has a large student population that exceeds the current parking capacity. Despite this, student pushback has kept hopes alive that additional parking lots will eventually be added near campus.
Some feel the school’s more punitive approach to parking regulation marks a notable turning point in its enforcement of campus policies.
