As a Hellgate student, I feel this is a horrible idea. I used to go another high school here in Missoula, where we had a parking lot. When I came to Hellgate and heard there wasn't a parking lot, I knew parking would be a hazard. Students here manage to find parking, but it requires coming to school 30-40 minutes early just to obtain a spot. It's difficult enough considering we are surrounded by college housing, and a parking permit district as well. For students like myself, taking the bus or other alternatives isn't an option due to being outside of the schools bus routes. I ask that you please consider not following through with this parking plan.

As a student I think this is one of the worst ideas ever had. Taking away parking or making kids pay for parking is wrong in many ways. Many students can't afford parking permits and all students who are attending free education shouldn't have to pay just to park their car. Most students don't want to attend school anyway and by making them pay, attendance will go way down. Also many adults say they are concerned for the future because of the new generation not being educated enough but then they do things like this so obviously we aren't going to be educated enough if we can't afford to pay for parking. If people want access to parking to their business then park their car in a parking garage, have their business get them a parking lot, or give the school a parking lot.

I believe we should not have a parking permit. I find that though the neighborhood surrounding hellgate is crowded during the school day it is almost empty 30 minutes after the day ends.

I am a student at Hellgate High School and I don't agree with he idea of the permit parking because of the difficulty Hellgate High School already has with parking, the Permit parking will only increase this difficulty and make it harder on students to even show up to school.

I am a student and instead of limitations I believe we should find a way to expand the amount of parking.

Please don't make parents of students pay for a parking pass. They have enough to pay for. Kids are expensive, don't tax a captive audience. Hellgate is land-locked, we can't build another parking lot. Gas just hit 4.23 a gallon; should we really add more burdens to families already struggling to afford things? Rent is already enough as it is, don't add a permit tax too.

As someone who has had to park as a Hellgate High School student and seen other students park, the problem is already awful. Just yesterday, I was 20 minutes late to class because I was not able to find a spot when I got to school five minutes early. The fact of the matter is that we already do not have enough space, and our parking situation is terrible without a fee to park and smaller area to do so. There are solutions to this problem that facilitate an environment where parking becomes accessible and reasonable for students. Instead, you are seeking to pursue a solution that encroaches on us even more than you already are, and creating an unreasonable environment for students. We are not unreasonable, we just ask that you talk to us and maybe we can come to a conclusion.

As a teacher at Hellgate High School, I appreciate the city’s effort to address the very real parking challenges in our neighborhood. It is clear from the data that demand significantly exceeds supply, with roughly 2,000 potential vehicles competing for about 530 spaces in the area.

However, I am deeply concerned about the potential unintended consequences of expanding metered parking near our school.

First, access to public education events must remain equitable. School functions such as parent-teacher conferences, IEP and 504 meetings, performances, and athletic events are not optional luxuries. They are essential points of connection between families and schools. Introducing paid parking creates an additional barrier, particularly for families already navigating financial strain. Even small costs can discourage participation and weaken the partnerships that support student success.

Second, the proposal risks disproportionately impacting students. Unlike other high schools in Missoula, Hellgate does not provide dedicated student parking, meaning many students rely on surrounding neighborhood streets. Policies that reduce access or introduce fees may unintentionally penalize students who already have limited options, especially those who work, have family responsibilities, or lack reliable transportation alternatives.

Third, while parking management may improve turnover for nearby businesses, solutions designed for commercial access mustn't come at the expense of educational access. Schools are community anchors, and policies in surrounding areas should reflect that role.

I fully support thoughtful, collaborative solutions to the parking challenges in this area. The city has emphasized ongoing community engagement as part of this process, and I strongly encourage continued dialogue with educators, students, and families. Options such as event-based parking exemptions, permit considerations for school-related use, or time-based flexibility during key school hours could help balance competing needs.

Thank you for considering the perspectives of those of us working directly with students and families every day. I hope we can move forward with a plan that supports both neighborhood vitality and equitable access to education.

I've been a student at Hellgate for almost four whole years now. This is an awful idea. I know several people at both Sentinel and Big Sky high school who have free parking in large spaces. The idea of charging Hellgate students as a "solution" for this terrible parking situation is laughably bad and would actively discourage students from either coming to or enrolling in this school.

i hate you you take away my parking

I am a staff member at Hellgate High School. The number of staff parking spots at Hellgate are limited, and every day as many as 40 of us end up needing to park on the surrounding neighborhood streets. As public school employees, I don't feel we should be forced to buy parking permits simply to get to work every day. In addition, many of our students park in the surrounding neighborhoods in order to attend school. The City of Missoula should look elsewhere for additional revenue, rather than placing a financial burden on public school students and employees.

I have gone to school at Hellgate for 4 years and each year, the parking gets worse. This year, I have parked up to 7 blocks away from school-making it about a 10 minute walk from my car. Every high school ever that I can think of has a huge parking lot for their students (except for us) If you don't give us a parking lot then you should not make the only parking we have paid parking. For some students and their families it would be hard to pay for a pass. People knew before moving into a home around hellgate what they were in for.

I feel this would have an unfair impact on Hellgate students - many have to drive for sports or because they have after school jobs, so riding the bus is out of the question and they might live too far to walk or safely ride a bike. This feels like a money grab by the city done without regard for the effect if will have on the teen population. I am strongly against making the Hellgate area permit parking. Leave it alone!

As a student myself, I would like to see free parking for everyone. I sometimes drive to school, but when I do, there isn't any parking nearby. I don't personally think that it is right that Big Sky and Sentinel high school get free parking when myself and my fellow peers are having to pay for permits and all that stuff. When it comes to paying for parking, some students cannot afford to pay for parking. I think it's a horrible idea to charge students for public parking. More and more students are enrolling to Hellgate High School and since more and more students are enrolling here at Hellgate, the parking is going to increasingly get worse. A good start is letting students park without paying for anything. The city needs to do a better job at management and planning.

Their is quite literally no place to park, collage students get mad at us for parking in “their spots”, we get ticketed for parking places we shouldn’t but where do you want us to park? This is so outrages and not one person wants to walk 5 blocks just to get to school. If you want this to change you need to give us places to park that aren’t illegal or in front of peoples houses, also not sure why teachers and parent get parking lots and 30 minute parking, give the actual students parking!!!!!!

I am a student at Hellgate Highschool, and I think that removing more parking areas is making school and education less accessible for us students. Without being able to park, it makes it difficult to attend and be on time at school, hindering performance and making attendance a stressful situation. Missoula should keep the space open for students to park and have a way to be present. It means so much more to us than some might think.

As a student, this is a horrible idea. Given the fact that Big Sky and Sentinel get their own free parking, why should we have to pay. Giving us a parking fee isn't going to fix the horrible parking issue. I have had to get to school over an hour in advance just to make sure I can find a parking spot. Forcing students to get a parking permit is such a bad idea considering the fact that not every family can afford it, let alone have access to a parent that is able to drop students off. There is no reason we should have to pay for parking on a PUBLIC street. This school has been in this neighborhood for 118 years, if you are moving into this neighborhood and don't live in the residential parking area, you know what to expect going into that.
i can't stress this enough. Do not charge students in order to cover up your horrible student parking.

One thing that I think would be smart is to send out a survey to the school asking who drives every day to get an idea of how many parking spots are needed.

Also most of the houses in the U area have a driveway or an ally with a parking spot or two. I think it's really important for the neighbors to be reminded that THEY bought a house near a University and a High School. This is only going to help the already very wealthy University home owners and the parking is just going to spread into the slant streets making it their problem. And what about when parents come to watch their children play basketball at 4pm? Will the parking commission just be handing out parking tickets then? This whole things is really awful. Taking away parking from out local high school does seem very WRONG to me and I truly hope this doesn't go through.

I am a student. I think this is a horrible idea and I think that if this actually happens students will come together and boycott the school because why should we have pay for parking when big sky and sentinal get their own parking spots. Its not our fault the parking a hellgate sucks and that issue is not going to be covered up by a fee. I was hearing from other students that it was going to be 8 dollars a day and that is ridiculous and definitley not going to happen. Students already have to get to school early to find a spot. No.

I am a current Hellgate Junior and my sister will be attending Hellgate in the coming fall. While I understand the need to help the community I am a transfer student who cannot take the bus as it doesn’t come to my neighborhood as well as I have extracurriculars that I need a car to drive to directly after school and I would not be on time with any other transportation. Both of my parents work full time jobs that support the community and cannot provide me with rides at all throughout the work week. I attend public school not private so there is no reason why I should have to pay to be able to attend.