Three public school students were hit by vehicles in incidents outside of school this academic year. City councilors said they will seek answers about these incidents and the state of the crossing guard program at a 6 p.m. Wednesday meeting of their Equity, Gender, Seniors, Families and Vulnerable Populations Committee.
The incidents involved an elementary school student and two high schoolers, said Amara Anosike, chief of staff for the public schools. None were seriously injured, she said.
“A parent of a Kennedy student informed the principal that their child was hit by a car after school on Elm Street in January of this year. We are also aware of two students from the high school who were hit by a car in the morning before school this school year,” one at Vinal and Highland avenues and the other in a crosswalk behind the school, Anosike said.
Due to privacy considerations, the names of the youth and any staff members involved were not provided.
Councilor Kristen Strezo, who filed an order asking city officials to respond to the incidents, said in a phone call that she understood the students to be “rattled.”
“This is preventable. We need to get creative and fast on how we fix this problem,” said Strezo, who has children in Somerville Public Schools.
Ruth Ronen, coordinator of district communications, said there are practices and procedures in place to keep kids safe: “Somerville Public Schools has an intentional partnership with the City of Somerville in order to keep our roads safe for our students. We work with the city to place crossing guards at frequently used intersections, communicate traffic changes and promote pedestrian safety. School administrators regularly communicate with community members around best practices for safety on our roads, including drop-off and pickup protocols.” She pointed out the Safe Routes to School webpage, “where families can find a map with crossing guard locations and recommended paths for students who walk to school.”
Police are expected to report at the Wednesday meeting on the number of regularly staffed crossing guards throughout the city and by how many the city is short staffed, based on an order by Strezo and councilor Will Mbah.
Crossing guards are hired through the police department and work 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. during arrival and 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. after school. A police department safety officer did not immediately return a call requesting up-to-date crossing guard staffing figures and the number of vacant positions.
A city webpage does not list current openings for crossing guards, but Strezo said that doesn’t reflect reality.
“We have a shortage of crossing guards throughout the city,” Strezo said. “I am looking forward to hearing what those numbers are.”
The city should find a way to modernize the position so guards feel community support, Strezo said. “They are an essential part of the community,” she said. “They are cherished parts of our community. Some have been in position for years, and some decades. They are fantastic. How do we make sure that we are ensuring our city’s cornerstone value of safe streets and vision zero and zero fatalities and make sure that we have a suitable number of crossing guards?”
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Crossing guards deserve a decent wage. If we really want to fill vacant positions, pay what it takes.
I have seen more than once crossing guards allowing kids to walk against the light when cars have the right of way. That is not safe!