News

Guardian angels: LISD guards are standing at the crossroads

Print this story | Email this story

Charles Wood

Hill Country News

A crossing guard has to pay sharp attention. Especially since drivers and school children often don't.

In addition to seeing the children safely across the street, the crossing guards serve as extra eyes and ears in the community. They can watch for wanted individuals and vehicles or get word to the School Resource Officer that a fight is brewing.

The crossing guards never know what they might see while ushering children across the streets - a driver zooming past their stop sign with cell phone in hand, a kid stepping off the sidewalk into traffic. That's especially true of the school zone in front of Running Brushy Middle School, among the toughest school zones in the Leander school district. With so many people heading in so many directions with no traffic light, the intersection of Lakeline Boulevard and Cougar Country Way is commonly used to train crossing guards.

“For the most part [drivers] are pretty good,” said Vickie Houk, who has been a crossing guard in front of various LISD schools for 12 years. “When they do run the sign, the majority will say they're sorry. There are some who deliberately run it - they're late for work and it's ‘my fault.'”

Houk recently had to go to court when a driver ticketed for running her sign challenged his fine - the driver lost. “He didn't know we were trained,” she said. Drivers often don't realize that crossing guards are trained by police, and have the legal authority to stop traffic.

“We are paid and trained by the school districts,” Houk said. “We're not volunteers. We are not here for fun. We're here to protect their children.”

Standing out in the weather might not be easy when the elements are unfriendly, but Houk finds being a crossing guard fulfilling. She especially enjoys getting to know the children. “I really like it,” she said. “Some of the kids I crossed when they were in kindergarten have graduated high school.”

Sarina Wise, now in her second year as a crossing guard, said the biggest problem she sees is drivers - especially teenagers - disregarding the school zones because they are talking on cellphones and aren't paying attention. “There should be a rule: no phones in the school zone,” she said.

Most drivers obey the stop sign, said Misty Kracy, who also works in front of RBMS and has been a Leander ISD crossing guard for three years. “The main problem is with people stopping in the cross walk,” she said. “We also have a speeding problem.” A few minutes later, someone did indeed run past her sign without stopping. “You should've taken a picture of that,” she said.

Crossing guards are not out there just to annoy drivers or make them late, said Kracy. “We would never stand out here for no reason - especially when it's this cold! We're here to protect the children.” She suggested that drivers get up earlier so they won't be tempted to speed through school zones.

E-mail charles@hillcountrynews.com

Reader Comments