Richland County School District Two superintendent addresses concerns about crossing guards

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Richland County School District Two Superintendent Dr.Kim Moore released a lengthy update video on Wednesday highlighting parents’ concerns about the district not providing crossing guards at some schools to serve as traffic control officers for students going to and leaving school.

Crossing guards in the district will only stop traffic to allow students to safely cross the street and enter the school grounds.

Moore stated the reason is due to a U.S. Department of Transportation manual that states crossing guards cannot direct traffic in the usual law enforcement regulatory sense.

“There are ways though that you can help. While we always appreciate your feedback, we want to empower and encourage parents to reach out to your legislative representatives, your county council members, and the United States Department of Transportation. What I’m asking that you do is for you to ask for assistance to help us provide a long-term solution to this issue,” said Dr. Moore.

Many parents across the district have also expressed concerns about the safety of kids getting to and from school.

“I take my grandkids to school and sometimes you have to wait an extended time just to go in and come out of the school. When they had the crossing guards directing traffic, it was very easy to go in and out. And now at round top, you can’t make a left coming out of the school. You have to drive up and find a place to turn around and come back and it’s creating a hassle,” said Richland Two grandparent Enrique Hernandez.

“What is the action going forward? Why wasn’t this recognized prior to the start of the school year so that we can ensure safe school zones for schools as we started this year? I also think that there’s some other failures in terms of safety when it comes to our kids on how they’re getting to and from our school,” said Richland Two parent Ryann Wagner.

Dr. Moore also said that law enforcement officers are allowed to direct traffic, but the district is having difficulties finding officers to handle the duty due to the interference of their shifts.

Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article's headline.

Stay up to date with WIS News 10. Get the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and Stream us on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV.

Copyright 2023 WIS. All rights reserved.