(October 26, 2001) -- After resurfacing the path that connects the student parking lot to the bottom of the school, the parking lot construction was completed Oct.18. The newly finished lot offers 130 spots for student parking, according to Principal Doug Dall.

“I don’t have to get up so early anymore,” said senior Andrew Oh. With the expanded parking lot, there are enough spaces for everyone, even for those who get to school late, continued Oh. Lack of space for students to park was also one of the problems during the construction.

Initially the parking lot expansion was to be completed over the summer; however, it was delayed due to “slow approval from the state,” Dall said.

He also added that it was actually a “good thing,” because unnecessary additional construction was avoided.

According to Dall, the plan for summer construction submitted to the state for approval included not only expanding the student parking lot but also renovating the driveway in the back.

The alley that connects the student parking lot and the back of the gym was to be reconstructed for extra buses. When school started however, there was no need to add more buses. Construction started on Sept. 24 expanding only the student parking lot. “This actually saved us over $200,000,” said Dall.

Construction Project Manager of GUSD Ken Jilleland said that the $180,000 that funded the project was partially contributed from state funds and local bonds. This price tag includes engineering fee and project management fee.

According to Dall, the lot should now provide parking for many students who drive to Clark. “We really want to accommodate students’ parking needs to minimize impact on neighbors,” said Dall. Disturbance to the neighborhood is now diminished by eliminating the number of students’ cars parked in the streets and in Dunsmore Park.