To paint or not to paint: that is the question. For the first time, Spartan seniors have been allowed to paint parking spots in the student lot, allowing seniors to reserve spots and express creativity. However, this freedom comes with costs: literally. Students have to pay for paint on top of the existing parking pass fee.
It costs $25 for seniors to have permission to paint a parking space, which does not include paint for the parking spot. These spaces must be painted over after the Senior Picnic with black water-based exterior latex paint, which costs between $20 and $40. Students also had to bring their own painting supplies.
While most seniors may find this cost acceptable, not all students have the same financial resources. The parking pass fee is $50, and $15 for children of WS/FCS employees, on top of paint and supplies, with the painting fee, for a total of approximately $100 or more.
According to North Carolina School Report Cards, approximately 53% of Spartan students in 2024 were from low-income families. This means that if seniors from these families want to paint a parking space, they will have to scrape together more money to afford it, on top of the already steep price of parking passes, which can discourage low-income families from purchasing them.
Seniors should pay a $5 fee to paint their parking space, and have access to previously used paint, or a donor can provide paint to students who don’t have the money to buy their own. Bringing the parking pass fee down to $30 or even $40 would also help encourage families to purchase parking passes and allow seniors to have fun and hang out with their friends. Bringing prices down will also allow the school to make more money, as students can then afford the fees.
