Published: November 1, 1999

Space Invaders

There's no such thing as free parking at Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wisconsin. To get one of the coveted spots in the school's lot, students must carry a C plus average, be involved in a school- or community-based activity, and carpool. As if that weren't enough, they also have to pony up $100 a semester for the privilege of a space.

Nicolet is just one of many suburban high schools feeling the parking pinch. Administrators have long charged fees for parking permits, but demand is so high in some places that schools have begun to ration the right, making it something students have to earn.

Nicolet High's incentive scheme encourages students to maintain their grades and get involved, says Leigh Wallace, an assistant principal known as the "Queen of Parking." But the plan is also something of a necessity: The school has 215 assigned parking spaces, yet 640 of its 1,350 students are juniors and seniors, many of...