Richland County School District Two addressed community’s concerns about crossing guards

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - According to Richland County School District Two Superintendent Dr. Kim Moore, in past school years, the district provided crossing guards that also served as traffic control officers for schools during the morning and afternoon hours of the day to direct traffic in the areas surrounding schools.

However, district officials discovered the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) manual on uniform traffic control devices states “adult crossing guards shall not direct traffic in the usual law enforcement regulatory sense.”

According to Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office, the purpose of crossing guards is limited to ordering vehicles on public roadways to stop so children walking to and from school may safely cross the street.

Moore said that based on this information, Richland Two safety officers cannot direct traffic at schools. They are only allowed to stop traffic to let students safely cross streets and enter school grounds.

Moore said the district will have crossing guards only at crossing zones within school speed zones, meaning they will be operating from the point you enter a school zone to the point you leave a school zone.

School administrators said district officials will continue to work with Richland County officials to try and move neighborhood crossings inside of school zones. Moore added the district cannot break the law to speed up car lines or help drivers enter or exit a school.

Richland Two is using off-duty Richland County Sheriff’s Department deputies to help while the district remains compliant with the law, Moore said.

She also said there have been problems in obtaining deputies to work morning and afternoon shifts because it interferes with their work schedules.

Administrators said Student Resource Officers cannot be used during those times because their main focus is to make sure students and staff inside of schools remain safe from possible threats.

Moore added there is no quick and easy solution to the crossing guard problem, she suggested community members reach out to legislative representatives, county councilmembers, and the USDOT for assistance to help the district provide a long-term solution to the issue.

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