Parking lot artwork now showing at Gentry High School

Photo by Randy Moll Meledy Owens, 16 and a sophomore at Gentry High School, painted a design on her assigned parking space at the high school on Aug. 2. Students are allowed to paint their assigned parking spaces for a fee, which goes to the student council to help pay for the homecoming dance.
Photo by Randy Moll Meledy Owens, 16 and a sophomore at Gentry High School, painted a design on her assigned parking space at the high school on Aug. 2. Students are allowed to paint their assigned parking spaces for a fee, which goes to the student council to help pay for the homecoming dance.

GENTRY -- Students, teachers, parents and friends were again out on the hot pavement in the high school parking lot on Wednesday, Aug. 2, with paint rollers and paint brushes in hand, creating a unique look for some of the parking spaces.

Students -- and teachers -- were allowed, for a fee, to put their own design on their parking spaces for the year, and designs were appearing.

The Gentry School Board, a little over a year ago, approved a student council proposal to allow high school students to paint a design on their assigned parking spaces for a $20 fee which would go to the student council to raise money for the next homecoming dance.

Students are required to fill out an application to participate, submit a design plan, have parental approval and school approval. The paintings have to be within the parking lines, and only specific acrylic water-based paints are allowed. Only students with a current driver's license and a vehicle may apply and seniors have first priority. Students must buy their own approved paint and supplies.

Those without an assigned parking space will be required to park in other unpainted spaces further from the school classroom facility.

At the end of the school year, the fire department washes off the paint with high-pressure spray from a fire hose, according to the presentation made to the school board.

The parking lot now has a unique and personalized look for many Gentry High School students and teachers and, in some cases, it seems kind of a shame to cover up the art work with a car or truck on school days.

General News on 08/09/2017