Editorials represent the viewpoint of the current La Voz editorial board.
De Anza College suspended parking fees during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving students the benefit of free parking ever since. Starting this summer quarter, the Foothill-De Anza Police Department plans to reinstate parking fees, requiring a daily, quarterly or annual permit for tuition-paying students who park on campus — but parking should remain free.
A daily permit is $3, a quarterly permit is $26.65 and an annual permit ranges from $50 to $90, depending on the time of year. Keeping parking free for students has a low financial impact and significant symbolic importance.
According to the 2024-2025 adopted budget for the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, the district plans to cover $1.52 million in total parking expenses from a transfer of the general purpose fund, which is very manageable within its $235.7 million budget.
Last fiscal year, 2023-2024, the college transferred $1.27 million from the general purpose fund to break even. Nearly $1 million in police salary and benefits accounted for 91% of total parking expenses last year.
Meanwhile, police student aides, visible in golf carts and blue polos, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. were paid $86,000 each from 2023 to 2024.
The college should boost police student aides’ presence instead of parking police salaries and benefits. The police department can also reduce its overall expenses by not pursuing their multi-million dollar Taser deal.
If the college has managed to cover millions in parking expenses over the four years that parking has been free — primarily for police salaries — then reinstating parking fees would serve only to generate extra revenue.
The college can still make some money charging non-students for parking, such as visitors using the campus for non-school-related activities. A system can be implemented that provides students with free placards to display on their vehicles, allowing campus police to identify non-students or unauthorized overnight parkers who aren’t paying, and then issue citations accordingly.
The Bay Area, particularly Santa Clara County, has an exceptionally high cost of living. In Cupertino, the cost of living for a single person living alone is 149.6% higher than the national average.
Resident De Anza and Foothill College students combined are estimated to pay $16.78 million in tuition for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Based on calculations from the 2024-2025 adopted budget and historical enrollment data, full-time resident and non-resident students at De Anza collectively pay an estimated $26.8 million in tuition annually. On top of paying tuition, on average, a public two-year college student spends $1,520 each year on textbooks and school supplies, according to College Board.
Based on our past reporting, a majority of students we have talked to also expressed that parking should remain free.
We encourage students who want to oppose the reinstatement of paid parking at De Anza to voice their concerns during public comments at FHDA Board of Trustees regular meetings and Academic Senate meetings. You can use this link to submit a comment to DASG’s Students Rights and Equity Committee.
By advocating for free parking, students not only underscore the financial relief it provides but also highlight the symbolic gesture of equity and support for a student body already burdened with high living and education costs.
(Editor’s note: The Foothill-De Anza Police Department has confirmed that staff and faculty were not required to pay for parking prior to parking fees being waived for students. It is unclear if staff and faculty will be required to pay for parking in the future.)
