MUSD superintendent explains absence of crossing guards

In 2012, a Menifee 24/7 article featured Pauline Cramer, a longtime crossing guard near Hans Christensen Middle School. (File photo)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Students in Menifee Union School District are back on local streets on an almost daily basis, walking or riding bikes to school for the first time in more than a year.

There are no longer crossing guards to assist them, however – and some parents aren’t happy about it.

According to MUSD Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Root, district officials decided some time ago to eliminate crossing guards after consulting with their insurance carrier and legal counsel about liability following concerns expressed by the Sheriff’s Department that some were actually having a negative effect on traffic control. Discussions about this go back a year or more, but parents have only noticed the crossing guards’ absence with students returning to school this month.

“I personally park on Holland Road and have walked my children to Southshore every morning and for pickup after school for many years,” wrote one of a few parents who emailed Menifee 24/7 with concerns. “I cannot tell you how many times the crossing guards have stopped cars and prevented tragedies … I’m sure parents have no idea that this is happening and it should be communicated to the public.”

Root told Menifee 24/7 that, “A year or two ago, the Riverside Sheriff's Department reached out to MUSD concerned when one of their deputies saw a MUSD crossing guard whose service as a crossing guard was interfering with traffic control and causing concern for the police department.

“It was explained that we should not have staff managing the controlled intersections as they were controlled via either a stop sign or stop light. For uncontrolled intersections, the district should not be ‘creating’ a controlled intersection through the placement of a crossing guard.

“Based upon the combined feedback from the Sheriff's Department, our insurance carrier, and legal counsel, the decision was made to eliminate crossing guards. As a district, we appreciate our great partnership with the City of Menifee and the Menifee Police Department, and we will continue to work collaboratively with them through the City's Safety Committee.”

An official with the Menifee Police Department, which took over city policing from the Sheriff’s Department last July 1, said the City of Menifee does not have plans to return crossing guards to streets within MUSD boundaries.

“I cannot speak for MUSD, but the City currently does not have any plans to implement a crossing guard program,” said Captain Dave Gutierrez. “We encourage parents and students to utilize existing infrastructure, including marked crosswalks and controlled pedestrian crossings."

Romoland School District continues to use crossing guards at intersections within its boundaries, including the Heritage Lakes community, said Madison Arreola, public information officer for the district.

“We have not been contacted by any agency with concerns related to our crossing guards and plan to continue offering crossing guard services at our sites,” Arreola said.

According to Root, MUSD spent about $216,000 on crossing guards in a normal year.