RAYLAND — Students at Buckeye Local High School are getting a chance to personalize their parking spaces while giving back to a local charity.

As the school year began, the high school started a new program for its senior class as a privilege of sorts for making it to their senior year. For a small fee of $5, seniors can purchase a parking space in the school parking lot. The purchase allows them to decorate their spot however they like with paint. The seniors get the chance to show off their pride and creativity, as well as improving the overall look of the parking lot. There are no qualifiers for getting a space such as attendance or GPA; students merely need to pay the $5 fee and have their design approved by Principal Coy Sudvary.

The idea for the program came to high school English teacher and senior class adviser Tricia Zaccagnini at the end of the last school year, when she saw the idea on social media. She brought the concept forth, and it attracted attention from the soon-to-be seniors, causing the idea to be approved.

Zaccagnini said the students had designated timeslots over the summer when they could come in and paint their parking spots, and she was impressed at the students that spent hours in the hot sun to get the perfect design.

“I think they’ve done a heck of a job,” she said. “They’ve really put some time and effort into these.”

The money collected from the parking spot decoration program will be going to a good cause. The proceeds from the parking spots will be donated to Hounds Haven, a local animal shelter located in Jefferson County. According to the organization’s website, it is ” is dedicated to finding homes for truly homeless dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens,” and describes itself as “one of the few ‘quality of life’ shelters in the Ohio Valley.” The money donated will go toward providing food and medical care for for the animals housed at the shelter. Zaccagnini said the shelter was chosen as the charity so the money raised would go to a worthy cause inside the district.

Students leapt at the opportunity to express themselves with their parking spots. Some choose to simply paint their name or an abstract design, while others incorporated their interests and passions into their designs, such as sports and other school activities. The result is a wide array of colors and personalities painted onto the asphalt, brightening up the otherwise drab parking lot.

Officials at Buckeye Local are pleased with how the program has gone so far, with students enthusiastically responding by purchasing the spots and getting creative with their designs. The program will continue throughout the school year, giving students the chance to show off what styles of art they’re capable of. Zaccagnini said that they definitely plan on continuing the program next year, and said that school officials will vote on their favorite design and award a prize to the winning student later this year.

“I’m very impressed with the time and the thought process that have gone into it,” Sudvary said. “I think its a great way for the seniors to express creativity and personalize their spaces.”