Travis County officials are currently considering the possibility of putting an end to their control over the school crossing guard program.
A representative with the Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources Department recently discussed the issue as part of a recent presentation to the Travis County Commissioners Court, stating that it’s next to impossible to fill positions regarding that type of work due to the program itself not being sustainable.
Leaders of the school crossing guard program have since gone on record stating that they have had a difficult time recruiting and retaining any crossing guards for all 11 schools in all five independent school districts that are dependent upon it over the span of the past three years.
Overall, Travis County is responsible for a total of 19 crosswalks and 29 crossing guard locations at the following schools:
*Hornsby Dunlap
*Popham
*Presidential Meadows
*Shadow Glen
*Jollyville
*Wells Branch
*Lake Point
*West Cypress Hills
*Laura Bush
*River Ridge
*Steiner Ranch
According to officials, the biggest challenge appears to be finding individuals who actually want to be a crossing guard in the western part of Travis County. A recent memo from TNR states the following:
“Although development is occurring all over Travis County, the majority of the turnover is in western Travis County. Due to the location of the schools, the split shift of morning and afternoon, and the low number of hours worked, it has become increasingly difficult to recruit and retain.”
The crossing guard program is currently being funded through a $1.50 Child Safety Fee that’s collected from Motor Vehicle Registration, and the county chose to manage a school crossing guard program in a more unincorporated area when children would actually be crossing a county roadway.
Commissioners are expected to make a more formal decision regarding the program before March 2020 in order to provide school districts with enough time to adjust to any and all changes.
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