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Fayetteville Students Camp Out For Parking Permits

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — Some students at a local high school had to show up extra early on Monday (April 25) hours before classes start. The students came t...

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- Some students at a local high school had to show up extra early on Monday (April 25) hours before classes start.

The students came to school hours before the sun came up vying for a parking permit for the next school year. The permits went on sale at 5 a.m., meaning that students got up even earlier to stand in line.

Fayetteville school district spokesman Alan Wilbourn said there are about 1,150 juniors and seniors, but there are only 442 parking spots. Seniors get 60 percent of the parking spots, and juniors get 40 percent.

Each parking permit costs $50. Students have to pay for parking because of the high school's location downtown, with limited parking spaces. Wilbourn said the school looked at buying additional property for parking, but it would be very expensive.

"There are some costs associated with having parking on campus, such as the cleanup of the lots and also administering and watching that the persons with permits are the only ones parking in the lots," Wilbourn said.

He said all the money goes into the high school activity fund to be used for parking lot police and clean up. Anything that's left over goes to student activities.

Students have to reapply for a permit each year.

This is the second year the district has run the application process in this way. Wilbourn said early in the morning is the best time for all students to get a fair shot at getting a parking space.

"We rolled up at the parking lot at about 11 o'clock, and there was already a couple people there. So we just camped out and played games all night basically just talked," said Tristan Urlich, a student at Fayetteville High School. "Then probably at about 2 o'clock in the morning we started getting in line."

Wilbourn said teachers and administrators do not have to pay for parking.

The district was looking into whether there's a better way to run the permit application process, but has found this to be the best option so far, Wilbourn said.

Students at high schools in Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville also have to pay for permits.

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