A car without a parking tag is just not a WHS car. Every fall 875 WHS students pay the $25 per semester cost in order to park in one of the lots surrounding WHS.

But as students (or, more likely, their parents) write that check for $25 or $50, many ask—just where does the parking tag money go?

Jeff Krieter, director of operational services for the Sioux Falls School District, helped clarify the situation.

“Most of the money goes toward the district’s funds to help financially with snow removal, maintenance and salary expenses,” Krieter said. “It costs a lot to maintain the public schools, and this is one way to obtain revenue.”

The maintenance costs do add up. District wide, $30,000-$40,000 is spent each winter to help with snow removal and $5,000 is spent to repaint the parking lines. With the WHS parking lot scheduled to be resurfaced this summer, a $900,000 bill is in the school’s future, as well.

Though the collected money from the fees has not equaled the cost of repairs, it has helped—and as a result of the extra cash taken in by the school district, WHS and Roosevelt will be getting their parking lots resurfaced this summer and all three schools are set to have additional parking spaces added.

Assistant principal Dale Veatch said the additional spaces are needed.

“I think the resurfacing of the parking lot will be good because of the expanded space that will be added,” Veatch said, referring to the 30 new spots being added in this project.

He said the expansion will also add another benefit. “It allows Mary Fries to continue her aerobic exercise.” Fries is the WHS transportation coordinator and is responsible for enforcing the parking regulations.

So while collected fees might not take care of the complete cost of maintenance, with the help of student parking fees, the parking lot will get resurfaced this summer and repaired when it requires repairs as well as have snow removed and provide a full-time attendant.

Not so bad, for $25.