Crossing guards in the crosshairs
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Crossing guard Patricia Fleming helps students cross Milton Avenue at Memorial Drive in Janesville after school.
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Crossing guard Patricia Fleming helps students across Milton Avenue at Memorial Dr.
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Brian Donohoue
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Patricia Fleming
JANESVILLE — Janesville City Council members in November showed their support for the school crossing guard program but questioned why the school district doesn't help pay for it.
Two council members in November requested that staff approach the school district to get some financial help.
"I think it's a discussion that needs to happen," Kathy Voskuil said at the November council meeting.
"Good luck with that," said council member Yuri Rashkin, likely referring to the district's well-publicized financial problems.
The council had been considering cutting four crossing guards for a savings of $10,000. The city's transportation committee recommended the cuts.
Intersections occasionally are studied because neighborhoods change and streets are reconfigured, improving safety. The crossings are evaluated by the Janesville city engineering department, which considers factors including traffic speed and the age and number of children who use the intersection.
Several residents at the meeting spoke in favor of keeping a crossing guard at the intersection of Wright and Randolph roads.
The council eventually cut only two of the city's 19 guards beginning next fall, citing their support for the program and concern about safety.
The $70,000 budgeted to run the program this year comes from the police budget. The 19 intersections include two along Rotamer Road in the Milton School District that are funded differently: the Milton School District pays for 1.5 of the positions, and the city of Janesville pays for a half position.
The crossing guards have been city-paid and a police department responsibility for years, said Sgt. Brian Donohoue, who supervises the program. He hires the guards, and the department trains and supervises them. Alternates fill in when necessary, and if alternates are not available, police officers step in.
It's not easy finding a good crossing guard, and the turnover rate is high, Donohoue said. The pay is $9 a session, or $18 a day, and the guards are out in all sorts of weather. Still, some have been with the city for 15 or 20 years, he said.
"It takes the right person," Donohoue said. "It has to be someone who truly likes kids, and they have to be responsible. They're out there in the snow and the cold and the rain—all the elements.
"The No. 1 quality is being reliable," he said.
The job has no benefits, and about the only perk Donohoue can offer is a location nearer crossing guards' homes if a position comes open.
When given the chance, some crossing guards decline to move because they grow to love their crossings, the kids and the families, Donohoue said.
It's not uncommon for children to give crossing guards cards at Christmas, he said, and for guards to provide caps or scarves to little ones missing winter gear.
The biggest complaint he gets from crossing guards is the actions of parents who unsafely drop off their children at schools, Donohoue said.
"The verbal abuse is terrible, which is ironic," he said. "The crossing guards are there for their kids, and the parents cause the most discomfort for the crossing guards."
He urged parents and other residents to slow at marked crossings for the safety of the children and the crossing guards.
He's lost count of the close calls caused by distracted or inattentive drivers, he said.
"We've been very, very fortunate," Donohoue said.
No student has been struck in a crossing in the eight years he's been supervising. One crossing guard sustained a minor injury.
Residents who spoke in November about the need for crossing guards at Randolph and Wright roads agreed that many of the problems are caused by the drivers.
One parent described the "highly erratic" traffic and "excessive speed" of vehicles.
"It would be a high, high risk for our children to cross that road," said Diane Eyers, 2230 La Mancha Drive.
"Is eliminating a guard worth seeing one child get hurt?" asked Allison DeGraaf, 4417 Tanglewood Drive. "Can you really put a price on that?"
Council member Voskuil agreed with the speakers.
"We all need to take a look at how we drive and slow down," she said. "These are elementary school kids (who) are not paying attention."
She recommended the city ask the school district to help pay for the program.
Councilman Russ Steeber agreed.
"The crossing guards are there for their (the district's) children," he said. "We need to take and have that discussion to move that responsibility more to the school district."
Careless drivers are guard's worst enemy
Patricia Fleming has safeguarded children at one of the city's busiest intersections for five years.
She's seen it all and in all kinds of weather.
Fleming, 73, Janesville, begged for the job to supplement her Social Security. She vows to keep it until her knees give out.
She likes most things about her post at Memorial Drive and Milton Avenue.
She likes the children, who travel to and from Adams Elementary School or St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran School.
The crosswalk is near her home, and even though the weather can be a challenge, she believes working in the cold has improved her health—she
hasn't had a cold lately.
The down side: impatient and careless drivers who are irritating and dangerous.
At 3 pm. on most days, the intersection is a web of vehicles stopping, going and turning. She's responsible for dozens of children and said the job is not for the faint of heart.
Fleming has been almost hit twice. She wasn't able to get license plates because she was too busy dodging the vehicles.
Too many drivers are inconsiderate, rude and unsafe, she said.
"They are in such a hurry."
Many are talking on cell phones and not paying attention.
"They think the yellow means speed up, and they don't pay attention to the signs, especially the sign that says, 'No right turns on red when children are present,'" she said.
Fleming teaches the kids to look before they step into the street even if they have the right of way. When the kids remind her of that they have the right of way, she tells them: "Yes, but it will not help you if you are in the hospital."
Every once in a while, a child will oversleep, and she knows it is the child hurrying to school who will not pay attention.
Not all the children hurry, she said with a smile. She told of the boy who must crack the thin sheet of ice over every puddle. She laughed when she recalled the two little girls who walked a block on their knees in a fresh dusting of snow, despite her warnings they were late.
"They were just having fun," she said. "They weren't concerned."
One Adams Elementary student told her he wants to be either a crossing guard or an oceanographer when he grows up. She told him to concentrate on the oceanography, considering the pay.
Crossing guards don't get paid too badly at about $18 an hour, she said. In fact, she's never made that much money an hour in her life.
"The problem is, I only work one hour a day," she said.
There are few weeks a year when her bi-weekly paycheck registers 10 days because of school days off. There is no summer work and no benefits. Fleming will retire in May from her business, Balloon-A-Grams by Fancy Flights.
Some might think the job is easy, Fleming said, but the half hours bookend her mornings and afternoons and anchor her close to home for the day.
And half-hour sessions seem longer in the wind, snow or rain.
"The first year I worked, I thought I had joined the Royal Canadian Mounties," she said.
One day it rained, then snowed, then sleeted and then turned dark as dusk.
Windy rain is probably the worst.
"It blows your umbrella inside out," she said.
Fleming has perfected her clothing layers: two pairs of sweat pants, knee warmers, three sweatshirts with a T-shirt on top, a scarf, mittens and black stocking hat.
When the temps dip below zero, she pulls out her furry "Russian coat" that reaches to the sidewalk.
All is topped with neon-green safety vest.
"I'll say to the kids, 'It's kind of nippy out,'" Fleming said. "There's not a kid who knows what 'nippy' is today."
Fleming appreciates the little things. The last two years, children have made her posters during National Crossing Guard Week in bone-chilling January. One man pulled over and handed her a cup of coffee.
"A lot of kids thank me every time I cross them," she said.
Parents, too, tell her how much they appreciate what she does.
She believes she has saved lives.
"I surely do," she said. "That day I was almost hit, it could have been a kid."
Fleming is especially proud of her stop sign, which she is quick to demonstrate. It was donated to the crossing guards by the K-Kids of Lincoln Elementary School in 2008. Red lights flash around the perimeter of the octagon when it is held aloft, making it especially useful in the fog.
Sometimes, Fleming will let Carl, the little guy who wants to be a crossing guard, hold it aloft while she walks him across the street.
Feb 28, 2012 at 7:34 p.m.
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I was on the safety patrol when I was in grade school many many years ago. Both my children were on the safety patrol for Washington elementary. Sadly, it is often the parents picking up or dropping off their kids that are the problem. They drop them off in the middle of the block and don't even bother to use the cross walks manned by the safety patrol, the kids just run across the street, rarely bothering to look anyways. Just a few weeks ago on Mineral Point in front of Franklin, the adult stood across the street and waved at the kid to dart between the parked cars and run across. Next thing I hear is tires screeching and horns blasting. I about swallowed my heart but neither the child or the adult skipped a beat, the kid got across and they both walked off like no big deal.
Feb 28, 2012 at 3:15 p.m.
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I am a member of the Transportation Committee. All members are unpaid volunteers. For the purpose of full disclosure, I also have had a part time retirement job as a crossing guard for 9 years - part of that time as a regular and part as an alternate. As such, I have worked most of the crossings in Janesville. As far as cost to the taxpayers goes, Crossing Guards are a tiny microcosm of government in general. It does teach us how government operates. There is a larger lesson to learn than just the spending of $4000 per year for one Crossing Guard. That larger lesson is that it is much easier to start spending than it is to reduce or stop spending. The irony is that this reluctance to change can perhaps have the opposite effect than desired. I could find no Transportation Committee follow up of Crossing Guards for many years. Kathy V from the council even commented that this should take place on a regular basis. The result of a fear to rock the boat might mean that there are perhaps some locations where a Guard should be added. Instead we have locations with virtually no students crossing or very little traffic. Whey the reluctance to review an action of government? Fear. Read some of the comments in this blog or listen to some of the comments at the Council meeting when our recommendations were presented. I don't believe anyone wants children put in danger. I certainly don't want my grandchildren in danger. But, should government supply a Crossing Guard at 200 intersections in town? Government has to act wisely and prudently just like we do in our private lives. In the end that provides the most safety and value for our tax dollars. This wouldn't even be an issue if more kids walked to school. I have been at a school crossing two blocks from a school and watched parents living right at the intersection put their kids in a car and drive 6 blocks out of the way to drop off the kids by the front door.
Feb 28, 2012 at 1:51 p.m.
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Cutting a nickle from a total that is pocket change, stupid.
Feb 28, 2012 at 11:21 a.m.
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Who cares if the city or the school district pays, it all comes from the same basic taxpayer pot (yes, I know some of janesville is in the milton district). I would like to see an article where the city or school district could save $10,000 by say...switching toilet paper suppliers or something. No, they always threaten to cut things that people care about to get them worked up.
Feb 28, 2012 at 9:16 a.m.
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I see we need a genoius(sp) to solve this issue. Make it a volunteer position. Yes I know they get paid now and rely on income and may lose their job but better this than the whole system. Get volunteers to do it and there wouldn't be a cost.
Feb 28, 2012 at 9:07 a.m.
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JohnWicket - I see that very often in Milton too. I drive by the middle school most often and parents are in such a dang hurry to drop off and pick up their little darlings. They fly out the parking lot, nearly running down people already in the sidewalk and then pull out in front of vehicles on the street. All the while with their phone stuck to their ear. Nice example.
.
I also used to have another job that required me to drive down 26 and then take Harmony Townline Rd. to 14. On a weekly basis, a parent in a minivan would pass me (speed limit is 45 on that road) and then make an abrupt turn on Rotomer Rd. to go to the school without yielding right of way at that 4-way stop sign. Huh.
Feb 28, 2012 at 8:56 a.m.
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First of all the city’s crossing guards are hired by the police department and not the school district. This is why the school district does not pay. I know this because I have two close friends of mine that are crossing guards one works in Janesville and one works in Milton and both are assigned to very busy intersections. They both have seen it all in the five years they have been working. The problem is if you eliminate any crossing guards you increase the potential for someone to get hit. Here is why the part of the problem is drivers don’t pay attention when their driving. They get in a hurry on the cell phone talking or doing something that takes their eyes off the road. Last year one friend who works over by Edison completely blows the stop sign and almost hit the guard as she finished crossing kids and the driver of the car was later ticketed for failing to stop for a stop sign. I often wonder what would have happened had she not been at that corner that day could have potentially turned into a serious accident. You can’t put a price on having the crossing guards at those corners. Plus I should point out they don’t get a lot of hours to begin with. Now the city wants to save money sharing cost may be one way but eliminating crossing guards is a bad idea. We’re talking about the safety of kids. The only other alternative to save money is to assign Police officers to those corners but I doubt that will happen. No matter what happens here the safety of the kids needs to come first.
Feb 28, 2012 at 8:48 a.m.
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heres an idea, cut one council member and you can pay for the crossing guards, the crossing guards are more important, or maybe the council members can become crossing guards, but either way we need to protect our children,
Feb 28, 2012 at 8:25 a.m.
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I have a stupid school zone story from just last week.
In the east bound lane of Racine St in Janesville, approximately 50 ft west of the crosswalk in front of St. John Vianney, a City of Janesville pickup truck completely blocked the right hand lane to repair a sign--at 7:40AM. This caused east bound cars to work their way around this truck in an already busy traffic situation and right before the crosswalk. If you were traveling in the right lane all you could see is the city truck until you moved to the left lane and then immediately you were upon the crosswalk/crossing guard. I can't believe that sign couldn't have waited until after school started and no kids were out there crossing the street.
Feb 28, 2012 at 6:24 a.m.
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A couple of points for everyone saying that the speed limit is 15 and that it is all the “young” drivers. Firstly the speed limit is 15 when children are present, not simply when the crossing guard is there, or not simply during school hours. It is only 15 when children are present, this means open your eyes and look around you, if there are kids walking on the sidewalk in that area slow down. I use the approach that when the crossing guard is there I slow to about 20 and watch for kids or for the crossing guard. Usually the crossing guard is more cautious when there are kids coming and the cars cant always see the kids, the guard gives off signals that they are about to stop traffic for a kid, if they approach the road or check their sign then they will probably walk out into the road to help a kid soon and I take that time to slow down more and look more to try and see if I can find the kid. Now what irritated me was the whole its young dirvers bs. There have been numerous times when I have stopped for the crossing guard and the person in the lane next to me is going too fast to stop and flies through the crosswalk, usually these are business people and are old enough to know better. Please don’t simplify that young people are the ones doing this it is dumb people and dumb comes in all ages, shapes, sizes and colors.
Feb 28, 2012 at 3:59 a.m.
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Some of the crossings are for private schools; should they pay as well? How big is the police budget? Police and fire protection costs over 55% of the city's budget. Maybe a few less assault weapons each year or...
Feb 28, 2012 at 2:24 a.m.
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Young drivers are the biggest threat especially around Franklin Middle School. There's a significant need for more officer presence both in the morning and afternoon. People park in areas clearly marked no parking, cars go flying through at 25+ mph and should be traveling at 15 mph. In the 3 years my daughter attended Franklin, I can't even count how many times I nearly saw a kid get run down by a speeding vehicle....
Cutting any crossing guards will put children at risk of being hit by a vehicle. In fact, I don't believe there are enough crossing guards. May be the city and school should (gasp) make an attempt to work together to resolve the issues. Have high school students do crossing guard duties that makes more sense than paying someone to do it.
Feb 28, 2012 at 2:24 a.m.
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Young drivers are the biggest threat especially around Franklin Middle School. There's a significant need for more officer presence both in the morning and afternoon. People park in areas clearly marked no parking, cars go flying through at 25+ mph and should be traveling at 15 mph. In the 3 years my daughter attended Franklin, I can't even count how many times I nearly saw a kid get run down by a speeding vehicle....
Cutting any crossing guards will put children at risk of being hit by a vehicle. In fact, I don't believe there are enough crossing guards. May be the city and school should (gasp) make an attempt to work together to resolve the issues. Have high school students do crossing guard duties that makes more sense than paying someone to do it.
Feb 28, 2012 at 12:48 a.m.
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The transportation committee needs to go!
( how much could we save there?)
To even suggest that a crossing guard should be eliminated is insane!
In another answer, In some places the crossing guards are paid for by the police, because:
1. they are usually off school property
2. they have the legal authority to stop traffic
(using that stop sign)
3. as part of the police department, if the are "interfered" with by the public, it is the same as obstructing a police officer in the performance of their duties.
Feb 27, 2012 at 11:33 p.m.
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I pick up my daughter every day from Edison, and it's the same thing there. If it's not speeding to get to their child, or speeding after they get their child, they do dumb things like park across cross walks, or very near to them so you can't see the kids as they go to cross. They also pull out in front of buses and other cars, and drive with their phones stuck to their ears. But the city and school buses also fly by at high speeds trying to hurry to the school as other elementary kids are walking home in the area. Almost everyone is to blame. But definitely the parents need to slow down, get off the phone, turn off their music, and realize there are young fragile lives around them. Maybe they should ask for volunteers for crossing guards, and then those parents who need to be so close to the cross walk can just help the kids across it instead of parking on it.
Feb 27, 2012 at 10:39 p.m.
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One kid gets hit by a car and.....
Feb 27, 2012 at 7:43 p.m.
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Maybe bc this is outside of school property? I dunno but its all coming from the same pile, so just pay for it already, jeez.
Feb 27, 2012 at 7:23 p.m.
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The real question is: Why is the city paying for this & not the school district? Just seems silly.
Feb 27, 2012 at 6:49 p.m.
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I object to "youthful" parents who pick up their own kids, race to their cars and then speed away at 35 m.p.h. putting other kids at risk. The police are not plentiful enough to monitor all the wrong doers. If I see a child hit I will be sure to testify against the offending party in court. I hope they will also have great insurance and time to spend in jail. I see this behavior daily at one Janesville elementary school. Have you seen this thoughtless behavior near your area school? Watch for the kids!
Feb 27, 2012 at 6:44 p.m.
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The crossing guards are definitely needed. Hopefully the funding will not be cut.
Feb 27, 2012 at 5:37 p.m.
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I was a crossing guard once. I was in grade school at the time, and the pay was $0/hr.
My perk was getting to wear the orange safety vest, and that was WORTH IT!
I'm just reminiscin'...
Feb 27, 2012 at 4:47 p.m.
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Steeber and Voskuil are passing the buck.
"We all need to take a look at how we drive and slow down," she said. "These are elementary school kids (who) are not paying attention." ------------ Speeding drivers and inattentive pedestrians, Voskuil wants the school district to pitch in from the same pool of taxpayers.
Councilman Russ Steeber agreed. "The crossing guards are there for their (the district's) children," he said."
Sorry Mister Steeber, those kids might not be your kids, but they are Janesville's kids. They belong to all of us when they are crossing the streets.
Where do we get these council mamebers from?
Feb 27, 2012 at 4:20 p.m.
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WOW I can’t believe you said “crosshairs”. The last time anyone said something like that all there was such an uproar for the left they about had a conniption. Next thing you know the JG will be accused of creating a panic and wanting crossing guards shot. This is all said tongue in cheek
Feb 27, 2012 at 4:14 p.m.
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This gets me going. They can eliminate a crossing guard that helps kids get across the street for safety purposes, but yet they can spend millions of dollars for an ice arena that a very small percent of people use. Go figure.....
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