Howell has gone through numerous changes throughout the years, and the 2025-2026 school year is no exception to bringing in changes. The school underwent construction all summer long, and while the new theater and wrestling areas are still in progress, the results are very visible in the parking lot.

The parking lot in front of the school has been redone entirely, fixing  damage and adding in new bus slots. 

“The parking lot was very uneven. It didn’t drain water well, there were a lot of potholes,” assistant principal Jenn Beckmann-Brown said.

One of the main areas impacted by the new parking lot was the early release student parking spots. A trade-off was made, sacrificing some student spots for the new bus slots in front of the school. 

“I don’t really have any problems with parking, but I wish there were more student spots closer to the school,” junior Jordin Wade, an early release student, said.

While good changes have been made with the main parking area, some spots are still needing attention.

 “They still haven’t fixed any of the Union area, which [isn’t good] because I park there,” junior Leila Green said. With Union set for demolition, students are hopeful that some attention will be given to that section of the campus soon.

“I think most problems have been fixed. It’s a much smoother surface, there is less damage going on and the new dismissal process is better for student safety,” Beckmann-Brown said. 

The change has seemed to positively affect the school climate as a whole and is well-liked by both staff and students.

 “I feel like it’s definitely good since they’re putting money into stuff and not hoarding it to other activities and are putting it into wrestling and theater,” Green said.