I am a student at Hellgate High School. This is a ridiculous solution to the parking problem. If I have to buy a permit, it will make it so that I don´t want to come to school. I hope you can find a better solution.

It is ridiculous to expect Highschool students who already have limited parking available to pay for said limited parking. Hellgate Highschool barely has enough parking around the school as it is. Every day students are late because of the parking issue. Making them pay would not only add extra time to the parking process but it would cause it to be even less accessible than it currently is. Putting in paid parking around Hellgate or any school where the students often drive themselves to school would make no benefit and would actually cause issues.

As a former Hellgate student I am aware of how difficult it can be to find parking. I am glad there have been communications with the church, as when I went to school we had repeated reminders that students were not allowed to park in their lot. While I understand the parking issue, that is not a fault of the Hellgate students who already have to fight for a spot just to attend school. High schoolers having cars and a need to have extracurricular and independent activities is commonplace and Hellgate has been severely outdated in that aspect. Both of the other major high schools have parking lots that are free and designated for the students and staff. As well as the fact that many students commute from out of town in places where the MCPS busses do not service, making them pay for parking would essentially be making them pay to attend school. This needs to be addressed in a way that is not just adding a permit and fee for those who should have the right to school for free. If the current plan goes into effect I worry that attendance rates would drop and more students would choose to not go to school to avoid paying for parking. Which would create a bigger issue for our city. I really hope that the Parking Commission can find a solution that won't put fees on students and staff. Thank you for your consideration

There's a parking garage just over the bridge and they can use that fine.
Students should be able to get a permit if it happens or at least upperclassmen. Make it so it Doesnt go all the way in Hellgate just closer to the business.

They need to figure out a way for people to be able to park it affects the community and students. Its not fair to have to pay for parking for an issue of the city when no other school requires it you're basically making kids pay to go to school. And lets say everyone buys a permit that doesn't solve the underlining parking issue it just takes money from those when its not needed

As somebody who takes the bus every day, this is so unnecessary. Some people have places they have to be after work and why should they have to spend their money on a parking pass

Many students who attend Hellgate cannot afford to pay the parking fee that is presented to us and many also don't have another option to get to school. It would take me at least an hour and a half to walk to school which is not reasonable for a student to do. With the proposed free parking plan students would have to walk at least 3 blocks to get to school just to avoid paying a cost to park. That is unreasonable since many students don't have jobs, can't afford it or don't have a parent who is willing to pay the fee for them. I understand the issues regarding the residential parking permit since it is unfair for us to take the parking spots of the people who live in the area, but there really is no other option. We need to have a place to park that is closer to the school that we can have free access to just like the other high schools in the MCPS district.

I feel as though it is wrong to force highschool students to pay for parking on the street. If we had a parking lot it would be understandable to have to pay for parking but it is making it harder for kids to go to their after school sports or jobs.

I think we shouldn't have to pay for parking at a building or place we are required to go to

As a student at Hellgate Highschool this issue Is very frustrating and annoying. I think that this is a horrible situation for all students and staff to be in. I live 25 minutes away, so I have to get to school 30 minutes early to ensure I get a parking spot. Sometimes if I am late to school im forced to park blocks away and be late to my class. So if we had to pay to park I think many would be very very frustrated. I understand that unlike Bigsky and Sentinel we do not have a parking lot, however we shouldn't be forced to pay to park for our last few years of free schooling and not to mention we should NOT have to pay in order for us to go to school and continue our education. This is a horrible issue and I think that when they were initially wanting to put permits in front of the business's around the school their first thought should've been the school. Many of the residents either have day jobs so their spots in front of their houses are available, or they have driveways. I think that a great solution would be to not force students and staff to come to school. Also there is the residential areas which are blocked and if you do not have a permit you get ticketed, however during the hours of 8 am and 3pm I hardly see any cars parked. So even if you were to open up those areas I think that that alone would do a decent dent but I still think that there is a lot more that Missoula can do. I am very frustrated and I hope that this issue gets resolved and maybe even EVOLVED. This needs to be fixed.

I believe that changing to a pay for parking system would be unfair for Hellgate students, Most of us students have an after school jobs or sports that we could not take the bus to make it on time or they might live too far to walk or safely ride a bike. This just feels like another scam by the town to get more money for someones pocket like raising our property taxes because someone high up feels like they need more money and instead of going to work they make us not very wealthy students, most of us can barely afford to pay for gas and insurance much less pay for parking at a school that already has limited parking availability as it is. I have recently just had to pay over $100 in tickets just to park around a school I am forced to go to, it would be unfair to make us students have to pay for parking. It would be fair however to make us pay for a pass for our parking lot if we had one. Another great alternative would be to make the parking permits free for students, staff, and residents of the Hellgate community. So let me ask you this, are you thinking about these new zoning laws from a resident/student perspective or from a politician's perspective that just wants as much money as they can get. I am hoping you will consider making the zones around Hellgate either not pay for parking or have a free parking permit for staff and students of Hellgate highschool.

I am a student at Hellgate high school. I think this idea of having to pay for a permit to park at school should not be put in place. I think this would become an ongoing issue causing less attendance due to parking far away also it wouldn't even be paying for a guaranteed spot or anything better than what we already have. I don't think this is fair because I also know some teachers who park on the road and making them pay for it as well is not a good idea just because there was no room in the teacher lot. I park responsibly every day and I have never gotten a ticket and I don't think this is fair.

I am a student from Hellgate Highschool, and I feel as though the parking commission explicitly singles out students who may not be able to afford this imposed parking permit. In America, there is a right to a free education, and if students aren't able to legally park to get to school without paying, I find this extremely obstructive of our right. Quite frankly, I think it goes against the idea of public school as a whole. If residents are upset about students taking valuable parking space, they shouldn't have bought a house next to a school that doesn't have a parking lot. Collectively, students and staff would end up paying eighty thousand dollars a year for this parking pass. I find this effort to be taking advantage of the issue that has been apparent at our school since its beginning.

Also it is important to note that being in Montana, our school provides an education to individuals in rural communities. Our school, of the many in Montana, is linked to these communities miles from our city. For these students, many have to drive upwards of an hour to get to school each morning for their education. Its hysterical to me that these kids then have to pay for where they park their car each morning.

To the City of Missoula, I'm asking you, what does this imposed parking pass fix? I find this issue to be a sort of scapegoat for an immense infrastructure issue that is prevalent amongst this town, and in the community of Hellgate Highschool. One that seemingly no one is trying to fix.

As a teacher who has served Hellgate High School for 17 years while also teaching at Sentinel High School, I am concerned that adding paid parking passes around Hellgate would place an unfair burden on staff members whose jobs require them to be there every day. My position requires me to drive between Hellgate and Sentinel, often while transporting instruments, music, and other classroom equipment, so using public transportation is not a realistic option. I am also assigned to Hellgate in the afternoons, which means that by the time I arrive, the school lots are already full and there is often no available parking on campus at all. At Sentinel, I have reliable, free parking that allows me to do my job without an added cost. At Hellgate, this proposal would effectively penalize me for continuing to serve a school and community I have devoted nearly two decades to supporting, and for having a teaching assignment that requires me to travel between buildings. At a time when inflation has already made it harder for educators and families to keep up financially, even another modest fee adds to the growing list of costs we are expected to absorb. I understand the need to address parking challenges, but charging school employees who are required to be in the area for work feels less like a solution and more like an additional tax on public servants. I would strongly urge the commission to consider other options for Hellgate staff and students who must travel between schools as part of their job, as well as everything that is required to drive to Hellgate

The thought of any of my students not coming to class because they cannot pay for parking is concerning to say the least. Our bus system does not reach all students. Students need to come to school and at the very least they need free parking.

If education is important to the City of Missoula, they need to show support for students and teachers- this action is not in support of Missoula youth and their education... It is inconsiderate, classist and harmful.

All other high schools in our district provide free parking for staff and students, Hellgate should be no different. Please reconsider this and show your support for our teachers, students and families at Hellgate High school.

This proposal is a complete violation of the right we HHS students have to a FREE public education. Maybe instead of imposing unfair fines on students, the Missoula Parking Commission should create a parking lot for us. Maybe our government should promote carpooling, or create more public buses, or better, safer bike lanes to allow more people to access school without cars. This is utterly ridiculous, and implementing this policy even though all you’ve received is negative feedback from both students and staff would signify a gross misunderstanding of the purpose of a government.

School is required and many students have to rely on driving their self’s in order to get an education, if students are forced to pay for parking, it will surely discourage attendance at school for those who are late or just cannot find a spot, busses are not always a viable option for those with school activities before and after school hours. Students at Hellgate are already at a disadvantage without having a parking lot and having to find parking sometimes blocks away from the school. If parking becomes an extra expense students may feel less inclined to be at school all 5 days of the week which could eventually leave to dropping grades, gaps in understanding, and even dropouts in extreme cases. Please remember that school is already a difficult task for may high school age kids and this will add insult to injury

Hello. I'm a teacher at Hellgate High School. Although I am supportive of sensible changes to parking rules that would help Hellgate to integrate more seamlessly into its neighborhood, I think the changes you're proposing impose real barriers to students.
First, as Hellgate, like all high schools, struggles with absenteeism, we do not need rules that make it harder for students to come to school.
Second, any parking regulations that come with a per-user cost will be out of reach for many of our lower-income students. Increasing barriers for students of lower socioeconomic status is a poor choice.
There are ways to regulate parking that might actually make it easier for students and others to access Hellgate, while easing issues in with other parking users in the neighborhood. I wish the City would explore those. Whatever the merits of your proposed solution for the adults in the neighborhood, they're a poor fit for our student population.
Regards,
Josh Johnson

Hello. I'm a teacher at Hellgate High School. Although I am supportive of sensible changes to parking rules that would help Hellgate to integrate more seamlessly into its neighborhood, I think the changes you're proposing impose real barriers to students.
First, as Hellgate, like all high schools, struggles with absenteeism, we do not need rules that make it harder for students to come to school.
Second, any parking regulations that come with a per-user cost will be out of reach for many of our lower-income students. Increasing barriers for students of lower socioeconomic status is a poor choice.
There are ways to regulate parking that might actually make it easier for students and others to access Hellgate, while easing issues in with other parking users in the neighborhood. I wish the City would explore those. Whatever the merits of your proposed solution for the adults in the neighborhood, they're a poor fit for our student population.
Regards,
Josh Johnson

I am a senior at HHS, and although I personally will not be affected by the choice to expand metered parking to the Hip Strip because I am graduating, I feel the need to speak up.

A large portion of Hellgate students live out of town (Bonner, Clinton, Potomac, Lolo, etc.), and I am one of them. It is important to note that these students do not always have the same access to alternate forms of transportation such as the city bus, the school bus, or the ability to bike, as students who live closer to the school. It is then also important to take into account the money spent on gas and the time spent commuting to school.

Many students, especially upperclassmen, work jobs and are not entirely financially supported by their parents. I speak from personal experience when I say that managing the stress of working a job, doing extracurriculars, and maintaining a good GPA without falling into the trap of drugs, recklessness, or other unhealthy coping mechanisms as a teenager is extremely difficult to do. An additional fee just to park your car at school can increase financial stress on students who already have to balance work, school, gas prices, food prices, etc.

When you add a fee onto the painstaking and time-consuming parking situation around Hellgate, it is highly probable that the school will begin to have an increase in issues with attendance and rate of enrollment at the least. Both students and teachers view this as unfair, which can be seen from the plethora of complaints on this site alone!

Although it is commendable that the city is addressing the parking problem that has been present for years, I believe that this could be done in a better way. Some other ideas that I have heard/seen include utilizing the parking lot of the Holy Spirit Episcopal Church for staff in order to create more street parking for students, creating another parking lot for students from an old MCPS building, or simply communicating to the residents who live in the neighborhoods that they are in a school zone, and should expect cars to be in front of their houses during school hours. It is a complex issue, but an additional fee would make the situation worse overall.