Student parking and driving has surfaced as a widespread problem over the past month, with students parking in prohibited spots and recklessly driving out of school.
Recently, maps marked with designated student parking spots have been sent out in the daily announcements. The Cathedral of St. Andrew allows Catholic Central students to park in the east half of their parking lot, while the west half is allotted to Cathedral members.
“Students are parking on the wrong side of the Cathedral lot and getting the almighty stickers on their windows,” said Principal Abby Kanitz. “Parents were frustrated that (the stickers) were impossible to get off.”
“We don’t want our kids to get tickets or stickers, so anytime we can, we try to remind them, ‘Hey, we know it’s difficult, but don’t park where you’re not supposed to,’” Kanitz said. “For kids, first and foremost, we don’t want stickers on your cars. But that’s not our property, so we can’t control that.”
Security officer Ryan Pieksi said, “The thing that we’re focusing on from a parking standpoint is safety. If you see me out in the parking lot, I’m just trying to prevent kids from parking where they’re not supposed to park.”
A new student parking system was put in place this school year. Instead of assigning juniors and seniors specific numbered spots like previous years, most spots are unassigned for all students and free to be parked in for anyone. However, the senior lot remains seniors only, and the lot beside the gym has spots designated for KCTC students only, who arrive at school later in the morning.
Kanitz says this system is much smoother than the previous one. It allows all spots to be used each day, and when corner spots get covered with snow, it will not cause a ripple effect of more spots being taken.
Three Grand Rapids residents contacted the school, all having ties to the school, and said they were worried about some reckless driving they had witnessed from students after school who were most likely driving to the CAT. They also contacted the Grand Rapids Police Department about the issues.
Several “incidents” were reported to the school of “very high speeds going down neighborhood streets, and as of late, some limbs or more out of windows, and throwing stuff at other students’ cars,” said Kanitz. She contacted GRPD after receiving the calls, so it is now up to them to control the streets.
“When you’re in a neighborhood that has kids, it’s terrifying when cars drive down the street like that,” Kanitz said. “I don’t ever think our students are ill-intended, I just think they’re not thinking of potential outcomes.”
While her worries regarding the situation are mostly safety, they go beyond that into the school’s image. “When a whole bunch of kids with a CC emblem on their shirts are flying down the streets of Grand Rapids, that’s not a great representation. But, safety is first and foremost.”
If any CC student is identified as reckless driving by the police, they will be reported to the school and no longer permitted to park on school property. However, any student that this applies to is still allowed to park in a public spot, just not on school property.
