Safety is Non-Partisan: Bring Back the High School Crossing Guards

Centreville High School: An SUV and students in the crosswalk (PHOTO: Molly Sullivan)

Fairfax County budget constraints eliminated crossing guards at ten high schools in Fairfax County, and a student has already been hospitalized after being hit by a car. Most of these schools are located on highly trafficked multi-lane roads that can be heavily congested during rush hour in the morning and afternoon, right when students are arriving and leaving school.

Needless to say everyone is distracted at those times of the day, so it is unsurprising, yet still truly horrible, that on the seventh morning of the new school year, a student was hit by a car outside South Lakes High School, as reported by Hunter Mill School Board Member Melanie Meren. The entire community hopes that they will recover quickly, and students will be protected.

This is exactly what everyone was worried about when the crossing guards were removed from the ten high schools around Fairfax County, particularly at Centreville, Edison, West Springfield, and South Lakes high schools. If the Board of Supervisors (BoS) and Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) don’t make changes immediately, they will not recover from this, because it’s only a matter of time before a student dies. No one will forgive themselves for that.

First, this is a nonpartisan issue. Republicans and Democrats should unite on this effort to keep kids safe. In fact, Supervisor Pat Herrity, School Board member Sandy Anderson, Delegate Laura Jane Cohen, and parents from across the county are advocating for the return of these necessary school crossing services provided by the FCPD and funded by the BoS. The safety of our children should surmount partisan bickering. 

Second, please immediately contact your BoS representative (find your BoS here) and Chairman Jeff McKay (chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov) to demand crossing guards be returned to our high schools. The BoS holds the purse strings and they are responsible for the defunding of these positions. While you are at it, be sure to cc your school board member and Virginia Delegate or Senator (find your representative's contact here), for good measure, so they can keep track of the level of Fairfax County support for this much needed safety measure. If this is not solved soon, please consider providing testimony for the BoS hearing on September 15th (click here).

“Surely, it’s worth the resources to save our children.”   - Melanie Meren, Hunter Mill School Board Representative

Finally, the BoS holds the purse strings, which means the buck stops with them. However, their funding is directly related to unfulfilled funding requests and requirements from the federal and state government, and demands by Fairfax County residents. If you want to play the “blame game,” there is enough blame to go around, but honestly, that is not particularly helpful right now. The primary focus should be on keeping our high school students safe from Fairfax County traffic.

4 Public Education will provide a blog shortly to provide more details about how this came to happen. It is important to know what went wrong, so that we can all prevent this from happening again. But right now, we just want to empower you and provide the tools to advocate for the safety of Fairfax County Students.

Photo shared by: Molly “Sully” Sullivan, FCPS teacher and parent, candidate for School Board Sully District. Molly is one of the hundreds of brave parents keeping an eye on the students as they cross the busy streets of Fairfax County.

Find your Local and State Representatives HERE

UPDATE! Since the student was hit at 7:54 this morning, it seems that there is movement on the issue, but that does not mean anyone should slow down their advocacy. Here are statements by FCPS, At-Large School Board member Kyle McDaniel, and Sully Supervisor Walter Alcorn:

"This morning, a South Lakes High School student was hit by a car as he crossed the street to school. While we are thankful that the student’s injuries are not serious, this incident serves as a reminder of the critical importance of having crossing guards and other traffic and pedestrian safety measures at our high schools. As we consider longer-term improvements, we have requested that the County restore crossing guards to our high schools with the greatest safety concerns, which includes South Lakes High School. We encourage students, families, and drivers to use extra caution when traveling to and from school, follow all traffic laws, and remain alert for pedestrians and other vehicles. The welfare of our students, staff, and community remains a top priority." - FCPS

"I have been in conversation with the Superintendent, School Board Members, and Supervisors across the County to create a solution to this situation. I am optimistic that we can restore crossing guard functions at our high schools through a combination of police officers, crossing guards, school resource officers, and working with VDOT and FCPS Safe Routes to Schools staff. Safety remains a top priority, and I am working diligently to create a sustainable solution." - Kyle McDaniel

“I was very sorry to hear about the student hit by a car exiting the South Lakes High School drop-off this morning. While this is not the intersection where a school crossing guard was previously posted, this incident highlights that our school safety programs should not be the target of discretionary cuts. The Board of Supervisors should restore funding for school crossing guards at the other South Lakes Drive entrance — the flag pole entrance — and any other high school that presents an unacceptable risk. During last spring’s budget discussions, I unsuccessfully asked Chairman McKay that high school crossing guards be spared from budget cuts, and cosponsored last week’s board matter that asked for risky crossings to be reviewed and considered for funding restoration or other improvements at the carryover budget review later this month." - Walter Alcorn