Skip to Content

No Back-to-School for Some Crossing Guards: What’s Your Take?

 

As children head back to school in Augusta, Maine, this year, not a single crossing guard will be returning with them.

According to an article from CentralMaine.com, all 10 of the city’s crossing guard positions have been eliminated because so few students walk to school. A review showed that five of the 10 crosswalks, generally near elementary schools, had no students cross in the morning or afternoon at all.

A school board committee voted 3-0 to eliminate the positions, but they have already agreed that they can re-evaluate the need for crossing guards once the new school year is under way. A new decision would likely still depend on the number of students walking to school.

Most PreventObesity.net Leaders will likely agree this isn't the type of development we are looking for in the movement. We want to hear from you: What would you say to the decision-makers of Augusta? How is your community doing with this issue: Are you having the same problems? Do you have a success story to share?

Leave your comments below or send them directly to us at [email protected]. We might feature your answers in a future Inside Track.

See Flickr Creative Commons License here.