HomeMy WebLinkAbout(0005) IR 21-10685 - School Crossing Guards Middle and Charter SchoolsINFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 21-10685
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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SUBJECT: FEASIBILITY OF CROSSING GUARDS AT MIDDLE AND CHARTER
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Purpose and Summary
October 12, 2021
Page 1 of 2
The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide information on the feasibility of assigning school
crossing guards to middle and charter schools.
Staffing Middle and Charter Schools
According to the Local Government Code Chapter 343, section 343.014. PROVISION OF SCHOOL
CROSSING GUARDS (a), it is a duty of "the governing body of the municipality" to "...determine the
number of school crossing guards needed by the municipality and shall provide for the use of school
crossing guards to facilitate the safe crossing of streets in the municipality by children going to or leaving a
public, parochial, or private elementary or secondary school."
There are currently 44 middle schools in the City of Fort Worth from 8 different ISDs. Based on the
elementary school data, a rough estimate necessitates another 88 or so crossing guards would be needed to
staff the middle schools; hence, this would increase the price paid to ACMS to over $700,000.
Staff has identified 27 charter schools in the Fort Worth city limits. Of that number, 22 schools house
elementary and/or middle school students. Two of those schools are staffed by ACMS (the City's crossing
guard service). Therefore, if the City of Fort Worth decides to staff charter schools, there are 20 schools
from which to choose to either staff some or all. The full sum would add an estimated 40 additional
crossing guards or approximately $341, 000.
There are no large cities in Texas that staffs middle schools with crossing guards. Staff communicated with
Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Arlington, Corpus Christi, and Lubbock. Austin is the only city that
offers any type of service at the middle school level and that consists of providing training to citizen
volunteers who want so to serve as crossing guards at middle schools.
Conclusion
Since the goal of providing crossing guards is to ensure pedestrian safety, the most appropriate manner to
determine if additional schools should be added to the current contract is to review each school
individually. Staff recommends that the Transportation & Public Works Department contract with a private
firm to review the actual situations at middle and charter schools throughout the city to determine the
appropriateness of adding crossing guards. A request to utilize CCPD funds for the studies will be made to
the CCPD board at its November meeting so that studies can begin in January. Any schools identified as
needing crossing guards could be added to the program for the FY2023 budget. Additionally, as part of the
FY2023 budget development process, staff will review the opportunity to move the management of the
crossing guard program to a different department in the City organization so that it is no longer in the
Police Department.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 21-10685
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To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
October 12, 2021
Page 2 of 2
SUBJECT: FEASIBILITY OF CROSSING GUARDS AT MIDDLE AND CHARTER
SCHOOLS
Staff recommends moving forward with the current contract, as negotiated, with ACMS for the FY2022
year.
If you have any questions please contact Assistant Chief Joseph Sparrow at 817-392-4231 or
Joseph. Sparrowkfortworthtexas. gov.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS