As the days are getting colder, many of us are rethinking our choice of not buying a parking pass and making the long journey from 145th street–more commonly known as Sophomore Road–every day.

Some students say that $60 for a parking pass is too big of a bill to foot. Junior Kati Devitt says, “Personally, I think that they’re unreasonably expensive. I don’t want to pay $180 a year just to park in the parking lot. I like how students have the option to park on Sophomore, but sometimes it can be a hassle.”

Senior Alexis Cairy purchases a pass, yet she still agrees. “If I’m paying that price I’d like to know what that money goes towards.”

Mr. Tinder has the answers. “The way parking passes work is that the money that we collect for the passes goes to the district office, and it’s part of their revenue enhancement fund.”

Director of Secondary Education Mark Parr explains that this revenue “supports our current level of programming inclusive of staff and supplies.” The money goes into the “other sources” category of the revenue fund. Other fees that are accumulated here include admission to sporting events and the fine arts performances.

Although your $60 per trimester doesn’t stay directly at AVHS, any ‘local’ fees, such as a parking ticket, do. “That money stays here and then we use it for building security,” explained Tinder, noting that they pay for such items as radios, cameras, and also parking lot repair.

But what most students don’t know is that the school’s fee is actually the lowest in the district.

Eastview has the highest fee in the district, with passes costing $120 per semester, or $240 per year. Rosemount and Eagan tie at $80 per trimester, but, if buying for the year, are the same as Eastview. And Apple Valley’s, of course, is the lowest at $60 per trimester, or $180 per year. Schools outside the district vary. For example, Farmington High School only charges $55 per trimester, or $130 per year.

Why is our fee $60? The price actually used to be more than that. “One of the biggest problems I have being a person who manages the parking lot is trying to entice people to come into it,” said Tinder. “Each school has their own parking dilemma.”

Of course, lowering the price of the pass attracts more people to buy one. And as you’d imagine, winter is the busiest time of the year in the parking lot, but Tinder says that they rarely sell out or fill the lot, which is likely the reason Apple Valley’s fee is as low as it is.

So really, the price is chalked up to a sort of ‘supply and demand.’ And as for the upcoming long cold walks of the winter trimester, $60 is justifiable, especially when comparing to other schools in the district. It’s safe to say it’s not too much to splurge on in order to save yourself from freezing.