GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Grand Island Central School District has reversed its decision and will now allow a high school senior to display her original religious design on her parking spot after initially rejecting it.
Sabrina Steffans, a rising Grand Island Senior High School senior, submitted her first parking spot design in May, featuring a Bible verse and religious imagery. The district denied that design and a second one, telling her she needed to remove Biblical quotes and take out the word "God."
After attorneys sent a demand letter to the district last week, officials have now approved Steffans' original design.
"Just because you're young doesn't mean you don't have power to bring change into your schools and into your life," Steffans said.
WATCH: Grand Island school district reverses decision, allows student's religious parking design
The student, who runs a Bible club at school, expressed excitement about the district's decision to allow her to share her faith publicly.
"I was shocked that they even picked the very first one of all of them, so I was just really ecstatic to hear it," Steffans said. "I was kind of freaking out, thinking oh, 'This is so exciting.' I got the paints the day of, and I was just so excited to paint and everything."
Keisha Russell, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute who represents Steffans, praised the outcome and noted it did not require lengthy litigation.
"Other school districts that see the situation may be hesitant to do that without making sure that what they're doing is actually constitutional," Russell said. "Also, parents will see it, and I just think it's really great when things like this happen, and we don't have to resort to very costly and expensive litigation."
Superintendent Brian Graham released a statement acknowledging the district's decision:
"The Grand Island Central School District remains committed to fostering an inclusive school environment that respects the rights and dignity of all students. We also take seriously our responsibility to uphold constitutional principles, including the First Amendment. While we strongly dispute any assertion that our policies or decisions violated the rights of any student, the Board of Education and District leadership, after careful consultation with legal counsel, have decided that the student in question will be permitted to proceed with her original senior parking space design.
This decision reflects a thoughtful balance between upholding the law and avoiding prolonged, expensive, and divisive litigation that would ultimately distract from our shared mission—supporting student success.
We will take time in the coming months to review the future of the senior parking space program and will consider whether adjustments to guidelines or practices are warranted to better reflect our goals as a public-school community.
We thank the many members of our community who shared feedback, perspectives, and support during this discussion. Open and respectful dialogue is a hallmark of public education, and it’s something we will always value."
The school will be in its third year of continuing this tradition, allowing seniors to express themselves by decorating their parking spaces. Steffans paid for her parking spot and plans to paint her design this weekend.
