Students Drive Out of Necessity

* Re: “Student Parking Squeeze Spills Beyond Schools,” (May 29): As a parent and taxpayer, I take exception to some versions of the problem of students’ vehicles crowding residential roadways.

The problem is not the supposed overindulgence by parents in getting their spoiled children their own personal vehicle the minute they turn 16, thus creating the parking nightmare.

I am a parent of a son who will soon be 15 who attends Capistrano Valley High School.

The problem here is not in the parking but in the number of students attending this high school.

Capo Valley is built to accommodate 2,000 students. It is jammed with 2,900 students.

According to district reports, it will be made to serve 3,200 students in the fall, 1,200 students over capacity.

My high school freshman attends a church class in the morning before school. Therefore he cannot take the bus because the times conflict.

Until recently it was necessary for me to pick him up after practices as well as take him to school because no bus service is available for the athletes.

The high school is 13 miles from our house.

From the time football practice started in August until now, I have put 15,000 miles on my 1 1/2-year-old vehicle, the majority of which is driving, sometimes six days a week, to my son’s school.

It takes an hour round-trip for these jaunts to the school.

If the school were [closer], my son would definitely be walking. But it would be much easier to get him a car at 16 and let him drive.

The school district and the state need to build more schools.

My advice to the architects would be to make sure they have plenty of parking spaces.

They’re going to need them.

MARY CARPENTER

Trabuco Canyon