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Traffic and Parking

Central Park School is a neighborhood school, with most students living within one mile of the school. We have a combination of students who walk, ride or get driven to school.  It is very important to follow all traffic laws in and around the school zone.

Please refer to the following diagram for the drop off/pick up procedure for Central Park.

Diagram showing seven cars parked at the Drop Off/Pick Up curb and 2 cars using the passing lane while showing students using first cross walk and second crosswalk closed

Morning Arrival Procedures

  • Students may be dropped off starting at 7:50 a.m for breakfast. 
  • The parking lot is used for student drop off and pick up. Please do not park your vehicle in the drop off/ pick up lane. You may park in designated Visitor parking only. Do not park in Staff parking as we frequently have staff arriving from the District that need the parking spaces.
  • If you need to leave your car, you must park your car in a legal parking place. Be sure not to park in any red zones or in or in front of our neighbors' driveways for drop off. When parking at a curb in front of our neighbors' houses, please be sure that you do not obstruct any driveways, in any matter, for any length of time.  Legal spaces within the parking lot do not include those marked for "staff".
  • Students walking to school must not walk up the driveways. Please use the sidewalk in front of the office. 
  • California law requires anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, scooter, skateboard or when using inline skates. 

Using the Safety Patrol

  • Our 5th Grade Safety Patrol is lined up at the Drop Off/Pick Up lane in the morning.
  • When dropping off stay in the right-hand lane. Do not drive in the left-hand lane and cut in front of other cars to get to the curb.
  • Pull up as far as you can into one of the drop off slots.
  • Drop off your children only when you are fully stopped and at the curb.
  • Do not drop children off when in the traffic lane and/or double-parked.
  • Have your children ready to unbuckle their seat restraints and leave the car immediately when the door opens.
  • Pull out behind the car in front of you; do not cut out ahead of the car in front of you.
  • Watch the crosswalk for pedestrians and the Safety Patrol/crossing guard when leaving.

After-School Guidelines

  • Use the Drop-Off/pick up lane at the curb in front of the school and stay in your car at all times; your children will find you at the curb. As this is a no-parking zone,  do not park your car in this area, and then leave it, to locate a child. 
  • Pull your vehicle as far forward as possible, and be prepared to continue to pull forward as the cars in front of you move forward. This relieves back-up traffic in the street and allows more children access to their rides.
  • If you need to walk in, park in a Visitor space or a legal space along a curb in front of the school, and then walk in. Only use the painted crosswalk to navigate across the parking lot while being cautious of moving vehicles at all times.
  • Do NOT double-park, stop in the middle of the street, or park in the drop off/pick up lane. Wait in line with your car in the pick up lane, or park legally somewhere else along the street. Be sure not to park in any red zones or in or in front of our neighbors' driveways. When parking at a curb in front of our neighbors' houses, please be sure that you do not obstruct any driveways, in any matter, for any length of time.
  • Remind your child to wait until you reach the curb and come to a complete stop before approaching your vehicle. Students may not walk through the parking lot unless accompanied by an adult, and may only go through it at the point with the painted crosswalk.
  • Keep the sidewalks clear when entering and exiting the parking lot. Watch for children at all times.
  • Report all vehicle bumps and scratches (or more) to the office immediately.
  • California law requires anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, scooter, skateboard or when using inline skates. 

Thank you for helping making our streets and sidewalks safer for our children.

Keeping Safe Around Central Park

There are things we can do as parents and guardians to make drop off and pick up go as smoothly and as accident-free as possible. Please keep the following simple rules of the road in mind on those mornings and afternoons where we are without assistance from the SCPD:

  • The speed limit in a school zone is 25 miles per hour. Please do not speed dangerously through intersections or around corners in an effort to get your child to school before the bell rings.
  • Come to a complete stop at the intersection. Rolling through stop signs can cause you to hit a pedestrian in the crosswalk who expected your vehicle to stop.
  • Pursuant to the California Vehicle Code, a pedestrian is classified as anyone on foot or using a "human powered device," such as a skateboard, wheelchair or scooter. Under California law, drivers are required to yield to pedestrians, whether they are crossing in a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.
  • While bicyclists are not technically pedestrians under the law, you must still exercise caution when encountering children on bicycles near school grounds. The law requires you to leave at least 3 feet of passing distance between your vehicle and a bicyclist.
  • When stopped at the intersection, yield first to pedestrians and exercise caution around bicyclists. Then proceed to drive through the intersection yielding to the driver who arrived at the intersection first or to the driver on your right if you arrived at the same time. 
  • Finally, as we are a school of over 400 students, drop off and pick up are crowded times of day. Please pay attention to the road and do not engage in distracted driving. 

This is a lot to remember but if we all work together in the best interests of our school community we can make drop off and pick up a little less frustrating for us and much safer for our kids.

On behalf of Mr. Chadda and the entire Central Park Staff, thank you for all you do to make our neighborhoods and our school community safe places for our families.

Commonly Violated Traffic Laws Near Central Park Elementary School

  • 21212(a) CVC Helmet requirements: A person under 18 years old shall not operate a bicycle, skateboard, Razor scooter, in line roller skates, etc. unless that person is wearing a properly fitting and secured bicycle helmet.
  • 21202(a) CVC Bicycle operation: A bicycle must be ridden in the same direction as traffic and as close to the right hand edge of the roadway as possible.
  • 21460(a)CVC Double yellow lines: Drivers crossing over a double yellow line to pass a vehicle.
  • 22103 CVC U turn in residential district: No person in a residential district shall make a U turn when any other vehicle is approaching from either direction within 200 feet, except at an intersection controlled by an official traffic control device.
  • 21950(a) CVC Crosswalks: Not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks  
  • 27315 Mandatory Seatbelt: (d)(1): A person may not operate a motor vehicle on a roadway unless that person and all passengers 16 years of age or over are properly restrained by a safety belt. (note: seatbelt positioned under the armpit or behind the back is NOT properly worn and in violation of this law.)
  • (e): A person 16 years of age or over may not be a passenger in a motor vehicle unless that person is properly restrained by a safety belt. 
  • 27360(a) Child Passenger Seatbelt: A person may not operate a motor vehicle on a roadway unless passengers under the age of 16 are properly secured by use of a safety belt and/or safety restraint system (carseat). A carseat must be used if the child is either 6 years or younger or 60 pounds or less.

Please familiarize yourself with these laws and talk with your children to ensure they are aware and remain safe while walking/biking near the schools.

Keeping Kids Safe - from the city of Santa Clara.

How to Drive In and Around School Zones

Remember to safely share the roads with school buses, pedestrians and bicyclists.  

  • Expect increased traffic in and around school zones;
  • Reduce your speed to a maximum of 25 mph;
  • Yield to bicyclists and pedestrians;
  • Always follow the directions of the crossing guard;
  • Do not make U-turns across double yellow lines, it is illegal;
  • Be prepared for the unexpected – children can be unpredictable (e.g. darting out into the street) or may ignore potential hazards (e.g. bicyclists looking for car doors opening from parked cars);
  • Yield right of way to buses at all times and make sure to stop when their lights/stop sign are deployed;
  • Be respectful of student safety patrol and parent volunteers helping to monitor school safety; and,
  • Do not park in red zones, handicap areas or block a crosswalk – even if just for a minute. 

If you have a specific concern, it can be reported to the Santa Clara Police Department