Students may gain 105 parking spaces and lose an excuse for being late to first period if plans are approved to expand and restripe school parking lots. 

The San Juan district has submitted parking expansion plans for review by the Division of the State Architect, which oversees construction projects at public schools. The plans would expand the lot by the west staff entrance into the lawn area at the front of the school that runs along American River Drive and the lot at the back of the school into the area where an old temporary building has already been removed. 

“They are not taking any trees out in the back of the school,” Principle Kelly says. But in front of the school by the staff parking, they will have to expand the asphalt paving towards American River Drive. 

To deal with the flow of traffic and accommodate students and staff, there will most likely be a redistributing of student and staff parking spaces. 

“Staff may move to the back of the school,” said Kelly. Additionally, existing parking lots would be re-striped to add compact car spaces and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) spaces. 

If approved the work would be completed next summer before the start of the 2023-24 school year. 

Rio now has 515 standard spaces, plus 23 ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) spaces, for a total of 538. Parking has become a problem as the school has increased enrollment by several hundred students in the past decade.