Have you ever considered how the things you do and say may affect whether or not you take the bus to school? Well, they do! Many students may think a school parking space is a right, not a privilege, but that’s simply not the case. We sat down with Mr. Perachi, the school’s Dean of Students, and found out how vulnerable your parking privileges really are. Not only can driving skills affect a parking status, but so can behavior within the campus.

At Shepaug, student drivers are given different passes for different responsibilities. There’s a white, blue and green pass. A white pass is the the golden archway to exiting the building.

“Blue is for someone who has a driver’s license but is not allowed to transport passengers,”  Mr. Perachi explains. “Green is for someone who has a driver’s license, but is allowed to transport passengers.”

White passes are a little different because they have nothing to do with parking. “A white pass, [is for] a senior who is above a certain GPA,” said Perachi. Seniors also need parental permission and no disciplinary referrals.

“If you meet all of those criteria,” said Perachi, “you can get a white pass, which allows a person to leave school during open periods to do some sort of business.”

Perachi believes these privileges need to be earned.

“It is a privilege, it is not a right because there are certain standards of behavior that people need to uphold in order to be allowed to do that,” said Perachi.

Perachi mentioned that most people do not lose the privilege to park at the school throughout the year. When someone has that privilege taken away, it is generally because of some type of behavior they have committed involving a vehicle.

When students drive irresponsibly near the school, the authorities get reports from residents around the region. According to Perachi, the school addresses the complaints and get parents involved. If this happens more than once, students risk the privilege being taken away. This has happened in the past, but on a temporary basis.

Shepaug takes these rules seriously for the sake of student safety.

“Every opinion an adult has, a teenager will be a little bit more casual, a little more relaxed about it. So, you just apply that to driving too,” says Perachi.

There were 4 students who died in car accidents since Perachi’s initial employment, and these rules are in place to prevent future accidents.

“Our guidelines are pretty generous. Basically our guidelines are follow the law and you’re not going to be hassled. If someone is ignoring the law, then they are already forfeiting some of their rights.”