Parking at Utica is chaotic because we have two separate lots. Students have been parking in staff and visitors’ parking, which has been a big problem for many.

“I get to school from 6:55 to 7:00, and there are usually a lot of spots left,” junior Grace Jenkins
said. “I check the upper senior lot, and if there are no spots there I go to the lower senior lot.”

Some teachers are upset that their spots are being taken.

“Students need to park in the student parking lot. No exceptions, teacher Holly Yucha said.

“Some teachers, like myself, have first hour flex so that we can drop our kids off at day care. When
students park in staff there are nospots left for us. Students guilty of parking in the staff lot should be penalized.”

Some students are still unaware of the situation.

“I didn’t even know students were parking were parking in the staff lot,” senior Sadie Heman said.

Other students, however, don’t think this is a problem.

“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” junior Jon Jirjees said. “The way it is now is fine, so just keep it the way it is.”

Shelby Township Police Department Resource Officer Leslie Heisler is not in charge of catching kids in the wrong spots.

“Our parking situation all around is not that great,” Heisler said. “I don’t think you should have to cross the street to get into school. Given what we have, we have to have certain spots marked for staff and some for visitors. We have to follow the rules. We may not like them, but they are there.”

Administrators used to putstickers on students’ vehicles if they were parked in the wrong
place, but seniors say that hasn’t happened since they’ve been here.

“I use them in the summer with Kranzo,” Heisler said, “if it’s a repeat offender.”

Not much has been done to keep students out of staff parking, and students that arrive early to get a spot in the front row are not happy when late students seem to get rewarded with prime staff
parking spots.