Not sure what happened to my original comment.
Students and staff should not have to pay for parking, period. There aren't alternatives for many students that are attending Hellgate from outside city limits. Once involved in extracurricular activities and/or FFA there aren't buses and in today's economy both parents are typically working. My last has graduated but still thinking of the future for all. I understand some of the businesses nearby wanting to limit parking for customers only. There has to be some middle ground when there isn't a parking garage for students and staff. The residents around Hellgate should utilize off-street parking as much as possible and also should not have to pay for a permit. They're already paying property taxes. Bussing, biking and walking isn't a viable option for all. Sure it should be encouraged but not everyone lives within those distances. I know my student helped underclassmen as others did for her previously. The bigger picture isn't about the nearby hip strip, or at least shouldn't be.

Some kids 1. Dont have the money to pay and 2 yes driving may not be essential due to other transportation but some people do not have access to those other forms of transportation and/or have to find a way to something after school. Hellgate students face a harder situation with driving compared to other schools that have parking lots. Taking or limiting parking could damage alot of things in this community

Hellgate Student Here! Definitely get rid of the pay parking idea- so many kids don't show up as it is, and that will just give more reasoning for skipping. Us highschoolers are already broke, so we definitely cannot afford parking. It's not our fault that businesses chose to open so close to a school.

I feel like having a bus for transfer students would be a good idea because the city bus can have very inconvenient at times to get to hellgate and the buses would make it so people don’t have to bike or walk in the rain or snow or just bad weather in general and make it safer for students to get hellgate that live farther away.

Thank you for addressing the parking issue around Hellgate, it means so much to us students!

As a transfer student, who is not allowed access to the bussing system and lives about 1.5 miles from HHS, I would like to suggest that the district provides an (optional) transportation choice for students who have transferred out of their district. To fund this opportunity, families who choose to enroll could pay a monthly fee to allow their students to ride the bus to and from school every day. To ensure enough people are on board with this idea, a survey would be a great choice for families that have transfer students. If this alternative is pursued, it would open up lots of parking, since most of the students who drive to school transferred out of their district, and would now be taking the bus.

I have talked with many other students, (ones who already have transferred to Hellgate, and ones who are looking to) and found that this idea is generally loved by all students. Opening this concept means that parking will be emptier, students can have a choice, and it is optimal for families who struggle to get their children to school.

As a former student and current parent of Hellgate students, the idea of the City of Missoula even considering to make families pay for parking at and around Hellgate is ridiculous. Hellgate has been an established school for over 100 years. Residents and businesses had to be aware that there was a high school in their neighborhood. Parking in the area has always been what it is…students lining the streets the end of August to the beginning of June. Making parking a bigger challenge will not benefit the students. More than likely it will give cause for students to “not show up” to class due to not having a place to park. Kids don’t need another reason to not show up for class.
Additionally, the City of Missoula charging potentially 1300+ students for a parking permit quite simply seems the City of Missoula trying to make money off of a families who already struggle to make ends meet and is a terrible idea and quite unfair to the students and staff at Hellgate.

My kids participate in extra curricular activities and hold jobs. Busing is not a reliable or reasonable option for our family.

This idea needs to be trashed, Hellgate didn’t ask to be added to the Hip Strip businesses so it could sound cool and have their students and staff pay to be a part of it.

Say no to the parking commissions pipe dream of creating more chaos.

-A Concerned Parent

Parking has always been an issue at Hellgate so this is clearly a money grab by the city of Missoula. Charging for parking won’t change the parking issues. Students will continue to park wherever they can.

As a former student and current parent of Hellgate students, the idea of the City of Missoula even considering to make families pay for parking at and around Hellgate is ridiculous. Hellgate has been an established school for over 100 years. Residents and businesses had to be aware that there was a high school in their neighborhood. Parking in the area has always been what it is…students lining the streets the end of August to the beginning of June. Making parking a bigger challenge will not benefit the students. More than likely it will give cause for students to “not show up” to class due to not having a place to park. Kids don’t need another reason to not show up for class.

Additionally, the City of Missoula charging potentially 1300+ students & staff for a parking permit is the City of Missoula trying to make money off of families who already struggle to make ends meet, it is a terrible idea and quite unfair to the students and staff at Hellgate.

My kids participate in extra curricular activities, hold jobs and live outside of city limits. Busing is not a reliable or reasonable option for our family.

This is an idea that needs to be tossed in the trash. Find your fees to pay city bills elsewhere.

ConcernedParent

I am a staff member and parent at Hellgate High School. I have worked for MCPS for 6 years.
Both of my children will most likely not have cars to drive to school and will either drive to school with me or take the bus. I understand the need to drive less in the community if possible.

Hellgate is now over 118 years old and was established in 1908. The school serves approximately 1,312 students and in turn, has thousands of people connected to the school.
It was here even before many of the homes and businesses around it were. Hellgate's need for staff and student parking, and visiting parents, outside support services (i.e. mental heath, social workers, MCPS administration) and activities, etc. should take precedence over neighborhood street parking or business parking. When neighbors bought property, Hellgate was here. When businesses set up shop, Hellgate was here. When incoming parties become a part of Hellgate’s landscape, it simply comes with the territory that they will be close to a public high school, a university, sororities and fraternities. Many, many neighbors within the University neighborhood, have valuable driveways and garages that could be used for parking. It’s also important to recognize that because there are already special neighborhood parking permits for homes closer to the university, and students at UM already have to find non-fee parking off campus, a lot of UM students are also parking around Hellgate. It is not just Hellgate students, parents and staff who have to park in the surrounding neighborhoods. There are also UM students, and three very valuable and community involved churches, who are also using street parking on a regular basis.

Employees of Hellgate should not be asked to pay to park while working at a public high school. The school is unique in that it does not have large spaces to park like Big Sky or Sentinel do. It is always a struggle for employees to find parking. Adding a financial additional barrier for our teachers, custodians, support staff, administration, coaches, etc. to park makes it harder to work at Hellgate.

Being a parent and working at the school gives me a unique perspective. I see that many parents have trouble finding parking for important meetings with teachers, counselors, administrators, and school events. This is already a barrier for parents to be a part of the school community. For families who live in Bonner, Clinton, Sunset and the Swan Valley districts, who filter into Hellgate High School starting in 9th grade, the commute to come to Hellgate is even more of a challenge. Adding a fee for any parent to park will make the situation even worse and once again, add another financial burden that already exists in many homes.

Students choose to drive to school for many reasons. Some live far away, have after school or before school activities or even drive to and from work. There are also a large number of students who already take the public bus, get picked-up or dropped off, carpool with friends or take the bus. I believe that the students at Hellgate are trying their best to adapt to the lack of parking near Hellgate.

Ultimately, I believe that there should not be any action taken. The parking commission should not be in the business of taxing students, public school staff, and parents so they can go to school, work at school, and be a part of a public school’s community.

Please consider offering busing to students who live more than a mile away instead of two miles. Two miles is a long way to walk or bike in poor weather, especially in areas where the city bus schedule doesn’t align with school times.
Thank you for addressing this issue and looking for solutions that take many groups into consideration.

Teacher and Parent

Watching the City of Missoula exploit the Hellgate student population for the sole purpose of revenue generation is an unethical money grab that targets 15-18-year-old students. Equity is being ignored by a city that touts inclusivity and citizens first. Officials targeting a certain population, who by no choice of their own attend a school with ZERO MCPS alloted parking (other than the 20ish spots at the old Admin building) is shameful and gross overstepping of governance.

The city of Missoula and its parking commission are single-handedly attacking the businesses, the schools, and the heart of Missoula as they ride the profiteering horse. If you don't believe me, look at how many businesses fail in the greater downtown area of Missoula.

Stripping the parking away from 1300 students, teachers, and staff who attend the oldest High School in Missoula is shameful, disgusting, and desperate to say the least.

Equity: Big Sky, Sentinel, Loyola, and Valley Christian all have sufficient parking.

Populace: The rattlesnake, Clinton, Bonner, Potomac, Rock Creek, and Grant Creek all feed Hellgate with over 70 percent of those students participating in pre/post bus availability (both City and School).

Again, the governance wheels of Missoula are overstepping to account for their overextension.

Hellgate parent here. We live approx 2 miles from Hellgate (near 10th & Reserve) and are considered in the "walkable boundary" with no school bus provided - Hellgate itself is actually closer to us than an available school bus stop. While the #8 Mountain Line bus is an option in the morning because it arrives near the start of the school day, in the afternoon the bus only runs hourly and picks up students 42 minutes after dismissal. My daughter drives because she has an after-school job across town and can't wait 42 min for a ride home to get her car, and she's not going to walk home 2 miles in often inclement weather. Having to pay to park near school where you are mandated to be when no other school transportation option is provided is unfairly burdensome. Working with Mountain Line to add a bus closer to dismissal time, or adding a school bus option for our crazy peninsula on the zoning map would be greatly appreciated.

Been a parent of a Hellgate kid for 5 years. The parking situation IS atrocious. We can say all day that more kids need to ride a bike, walks, etc. but that’s not realistic. Charging a fee for a permit is a terrible idea. Kids will just park outside the permit area and walk a little farther, shifting the problem. Just like the residential area around the U. I don’t have a great answer to fix the problem, but the solutions listed here shift the problem/ or won’t work. What teenager wants to ride a bus? Even if it is a city bus. Busses aren’t convenient or don’t always work on a schedule that works for kids working, having after school activities, sports, etc.

I really feel the least expensive and invasive option would be to decrease the number of students at Hellgate and change the zones for attendance. The other high-schools have much better parking situations.

I strongly feel charging for parking around Hellgate High School is a bad idea. Students and staff can hardly find places to park let alone having to pay for parking. It feels like these people are being penalized because there is already no parking lot to accomadate the needs as it is. The other high schools in town have large parking lots. Please please do not make parking around Hellgate be paid parking.

As a Hellgate parent and also a downtown/Hip Strip shopper, I can empathize with all sides of this. My hs student and I have observed MANY students individually driving a car to school who do not necessarily NEED to drive. Is there a way to encourage/incentivize sustainable transportation by students: carpooling, school bus, Mountan Line- by students and staff? There will always be limited parking spaces, so the goal should be reducing the need for parking spots. I think that with this age group’s newfound freedom to drive, there is excitement to (unnecessarily) drive their own car to school and this creates an inflated demand for the parking spots; limited supply of parking will always exist, so how can demand be reduced? Can Mtn Line develop better bussing options for sports/jobs/after school activity transportation? Can bike groups be formed to make biking fun? Develop incentive programs supported/organized with students in collaboration w local non-profits (like Missoula In Motion, Climate Smart Missoula). This would be a great project to engage the city/students together for collaboration/ problem solving.

Please encourage walking, riding the city bus, and biking in every way possible. Not ease of parking. The traffic around Hellgate is scary--too many cars--especially during crunch hours before and after school. I've seen countless near misses between pedestrians and cars the last 22 years I've walked to work in this neighborhood. This includes crazy parking that blocks emergency and handicapped access, sure, but also cars speeding, impatient drivers running red lights, a student hit by a car in front of the school--by a parent, crossing lights that don't work on the intersection of Brooks/Higgins causing massive confusion and aggressive behavior toward pedestrians, unpainted crosswalks, congestion caused by folks picking up and dropping off students on Gerald, bike riders on sidewalks to avoid being hit by distracted drivers, blocked intersections when cars push the red light going south on Higgins, causing students to dodge traffic, etc. Limit parking. The more parking you create with the well-meaning church and parking districts around the school, the more people will be encouraged to drive to school. It won't solve the basic problem, just enlarge it. And there will be a growing push for more parking at our oldest, greatest, "inner city" school.

Instead, offer an activity city bus for students needing to arrive early and one for students staying late for sports, music and theater events. Paint the crosswalks, ticket drivers speeding and running red lights, trim trees or install flashers at crossings around the school, create opportunities for students to park in neighborhoods around the school by having the students ask and obtain a pass in front of willing homeowners' houses, open a student or faculty parking lot at the MCPS building on sixth. Ask the HHS student government to help solve the problem.
Thanks for asking! Together we can find a safe solution for everyone.

Hello - I am currently in my 5th year as a parent with at least one child attending Hellgate High School. The student parking around the school is a ridiculous free-for-all, and I find it shocking that there is no regulation. To say that students park "wherever they can" is an understatement. Many students have no need to drive to school and only do so because they think it's cool and/or preferable to the bus. My current high-schooler estimates that for sure at least 1/3, perhaps as high as 1/2 of students who drive do not really need to. Many parents indulge their willful children too much, and in a place like Missoula where there is sooo much emphasis on alternative transportation, I can hardly believe it. Both of our kids knew right from their first day at Hellgate - they could take the bus, ride their bike, or walk. I'm happy to say that they now prefer biking, and they do so willingly - rain or shine, including to and from school sports. I would say for sure make a permit system, give preference and make it free to kids with a job after school, in official school activities or sports, or who otherwise show a necessity to drive (perhaps picking up a younger sibling). Set aside limited parking areas just for them. Then, make it difficult and costly for other students so more of them choose to NOT drive.

Regarding after hours parking, I have attended countless meetings, performances, and games at Hellgate. I usually bike, but when I've had to drive, I've never once thought it difficult to find parking nearby.

Good luck.

Why are you creating a problem where there hasn’t been one for over 100 years. Hellgate has been around since the early 1900’s there hasn’t been a problem with parking since then. I realize times change but the reality is your trying to extort more money out of the community because a select few individuals have complained about not having access to their street parking. There is a very loose term as no one owns the street, therefore they don’t own the parking. This won’t eliminate the parking problem kids and staff still need a place to park. All this does is extort money out of the community for a problem that doesn’t exist. You are creating more of a problem. Kids / parents will skip the permit. Thus creating more of a burden on your patrolling officers. All this will do is create more resentment for the businesses in the area, the homeowners in the area and the parking division itself. This is a horrible idea. Leave the area alone. Mark the no parking spots better.

Or figure out a place for them to park. A parking garage where the “hellgate field” is probably a better use of space.

My son does not drive to school yet. He takes the bus however, I can say that every time I have to go there for a meeting or anything I cannot find any parking. I usually have to park very far away and walk. This is the only school without designated parking. I like the idea of the permit system and maybe an agreement can be met with the church for visitor parking at the very least.

Hello, As a parent of a high school student at Hellgate High School, parking is incredibly limited as is and often times student are made to park many blocks away. There is very limited parking, which is required for many students to get to school and play sports where a typical bus schedule would not work. Please take this into account when making any plans and prioritize the needs of students who shouldn’t have to worry about if/when they will be able to find parking to get to their educational facility.