Starting early second semester of the 2025-2026 school year, parking will change for Naperville North students.
According to NNHS Principal Jay Wachtel, 138 parking spots in the athletic parking lot will be closed for the construction at the athletic entrance. The spots that will be closed in the athletic lot will be opened at the top lot of the NPAC, where faculty currently park. Faculty spots will be moved to the bus lot to maintain spaces. Wachtel explained the plan’s longevity.
“What we’re moving to in February will be the parking plan for all of the [2026-2027] school year,” Wachtel said.
Opinions around the shift of parking due to construction at the athletic entrance seem to be common among teachers, students, and administrators. Most unsettled commentary comes from the initial shock that those who paid for parking passes will not be able to park in the areas they were promised. Students who partake in athletics after school would rather not walk from the athletic wing to their car in the NPAC lot. With that said, those same students, except for those who will graduate before the fall of 2027, will benefit from the construction done. While still inconvenient, students seem to rest easy knowing that the senior passes they procured will still give them a designated spot next semester, even if that spot is in the NPAC rather than the athletic lot. NNHS Junior Annika Person spoke on how the change will be a minor nuisance, but manageable overall.
“When I heard about the news, I was kind of disappointed, almost because it’s going to be a big change…a little bit of an inconvenience, but I feel like just part of being a Huskie is getting through these challenges,” Person said.
Staff at North seem to have a similar opinion, as they will also have their morning routines shifted. Currently, staff use the upper NPAC lot and one row of the lower lot to park. With the new changes afoot, a great deal of staff spots will be shifted from the NPAC lot to the bus lot (East Lot) to make room for more student parking. LC Director Mark Skarr commented on how he felt about having to park in a different lot.
“It’s a necessary step in having a building project of that scope done,” Skarr said.
With the bus lot being occupied by staff, buses will likely drop off and pick up at the NPAC lot, according to Wachtel. While this plan is not certain, it adds another factor that may make entering and exiting the parking lots more difficult before and after school. Nonetheless, students, staff, and admin alike will have to adjust to these changes during the upcoming year, even if it means a bit of discomfort.
Ultimately, the parking and construction plan for next semester is looked upon optimistically by admin. Wachtel stated his opinion on the overall parking plan for students and how adaptable it is.
“It’s a pretty good plan, but we will change if we need to,” Wachtel said.
