By Fiona Corrigan, Opinions Editor

One of the most exciting aspects of turning seventeen is the thrill of passing your driver’s test and getting your license. This typically takes place during your junior year of high school- an exciting time to embrace upcoming adult privileges. 

As the Trinity Hall student body grows each year, parking spaces have become limited and less accessible for student drivers. Traditionally, driving to and parking at school have been regarded as senior privileges, prioritizing senior drivers and thus allocating the remaining spaces for juniors with their licenses.

Last year, controversy arose when more juniors earned their licenses. With the size of the Class of 2022, there was a lack of space for juniors to park. This caused debate on the following question: Should juniors be allowed to drive to school at all, or should driving be a strictly senior privilege? Due to the different circumstances of transportation for each student, juniors should be allowed to drive themselves to school. 

I wouldn’t have gone to Trinity if I didn’t have a bus, and then my bus was cancelled last year.

Riley Smith ’23

Last year, many students did not have access to district buses. Without certain public school districts providing free busing for Trinity Hall students, multiple families in the community were tasked with finding last-minute alternatives for getting their students to school. 

Every family has different needs; for working parents, it is a challenge to get students to school without provided busing. 

“My district bus was canceled. It was really difficult to figure something out and work around my family and their needs in order for me to get to school. I know there were other families who faced the same challenges,” said senior Tori Perella. 

With Trinity Hall drawing girls from different areas of central NJ, there needs to be support for all modes of transportation, specifically accommodating girls who live far away. 

“Many parents have busy schedules. You only get a bus if you’re from more populated areas. I wouldn’t have gone to Trinity if I didn’t have a bus, and then my bus was cancelled last year,” said Riley Smith, a senior from Middlesex County. 

Additionally, several families without alternative modes of transportation fully planned for their junior students to drive themselves to school once they earned their licenses. The possibility of no junior drivers invoked stress in some households. 

“Initially, my family had planned for me to drive to school, especially since my district busing was taken away. When I learned of the potential of not being able to drive as a junior, it created a lot of stress for both me and my family. Nobody else should have to put themselves in that situation,” said senior Jacqueline Bradley. 

If seniors are able to drive to school, juniors should be allowed to as well. Many families rely on their upperclassmen students to transport themselves and their siblings to and from school each day. With numerous combinations of circumstances, juniors should be allowed to drive and have parking accommodations until all spaces are claimed.