After receiving numerous complaints from parents, Highland Elementary School and the Crookston Police Department are taking action to prevent people from parking in the seven handicapped spots in Highland’s east parking lot to allow those who need them to access them.
Highland School has seven highly marked handicapped spots in the east parking lot where parents pick up their kids. However, when the students are dismissed from school, between 2:45 and 3:05 p.m., parents coming to pick up their kids are parking in the open handicap spots when they or their children are not handicapped, which prevents parents who have handicap stickers from using the spots to get their children. “I just spoke to a lady today who was in a van, and her child is handicapped, and almost every day when she comes to school to pick up her child, she can’t get in a handicapped spot. School Resource Officer Don Rasicot explained. “So, Principal Trostad has remarked these handicapped spots, so they are highly visible, and the plan is to verbally warn the people today and tomorrow, and starting on Friday, anyone that parks in a handicap spot that does not have a handicap plaque or plate will be issued a handicapped ticket, which is very, very expensive. I don’t want to issue a ticket, but I will start on Friday.”
The school will use the verbal warning days for the handicapped spots as a learning day for those that may park there by accident, by giving them verbal warnings, but starting on Friday, it will begin giving citations to those that park in those spots, with the citations ranging anywhere from $200 to $300.
“I do have an intention of issuing a citation after Friday, and I hope I don’t have to. I really don’t want to,” said Rasicot. “We have good, hardworking parents here, and I realize that parking is at a premium here, and we can work all together as a team in picking up kids, but I have an issue with them parking in a handicapped spot, taking away a spot where a parent needs that who wears a handicapped decal.”
To ensure these new rules will be followed, Rasicot and other members of the Crookston Police Department will be monitoring the parking lot to ensure no one parks in those spots during the pickup times at Highland.
“I would just ask our parents to show some patience, kindness and to be understanding and be very cognitive that if you don’t rate a handicap plaque or license, then don’t park in a handicap spot,” said Rasicot.
Warnings to anyone who parks in those parking spots will be given out during the pickup times at Highland between 2:45 and 3:05 p.m. on Thursday, but citations will be given out to anyone who parks in those spots during those times starting on Friday, March 10.
