Josh Griffin, Principle at Erie High school, had goals to hit the ground running when he started last school year, including making sure to have specific priorities when coming to Erie High School. One of the first being the schools dire need for more parking spaces, he shared, “In collaboration with our St. Vrain Valley School District leadership team, it was determined that we would make improvements to the main Erie High School parking lot last winter.” This decision was both strategic and mainly driven by the school’s growing numbers.

The main goal of this project was to address the growing demand for parking spaces. Griffin clarifies, “The decision to improve the parking lot by adding approximately 140 new parking spaces was based on our enrollment numbers and the number of eligible student and staff drivers we have traveling to school each day.” Students and staff shouldn’t be stressed out about whether or not they’ll have a legal spot to park in at school, making the demand for parking more of a need and not just a want. Telling students and staff to arrive earlier than normal to find a spot for school was no longer an option as the ratio for parking to students and staff was not adequate. 

With the decision being made and renovations set in place the school could now look forward to big changes at the start of the school year. “The renovations occurred over the summer. The crew started work the week after graduation and finished the work prior to the start of school, so approximately two months,” Griffin explained. With such a tight timeline it’s clear that the school was mainly determined to provide a coherent transition for everyone.

Griffin stated proudly “The new parking spaces have helped with convenience and efficiency immensely.” The once frustrating search for a parking spot became a second hand thought and the least of a student or staff member’s worries. Students could go back to focusing on their studies and grades, while staff went back to focusing on their teaching. Many students have shown they enjoy the convenience and more efficient daily routine thanks to the renovations

The once cramped and congested parking lot could now be thought of as a well organized area of the school, showing the schools commitment to its students/staff and overall enhancing the rapidly growing school as a whole.