SAN CLEMENTE : City to Fund Crossing Guards at 2 Schools
At the urging of educators and parents, the City Council this week voted to pay for crossing guards at busy intersections near two schools.
The council unanimously approved a plan for the next school year that will provide paid crossing guards at Camino Vera Cruz and Sarmentoso near Truman Benedict Elementary School and El Camino Real and El Portal near Las Palmas Elementary School.
For the rest of this school year, the council asked city officials to find trained, part-time guards who could start immediately.
Although there have been no accidents involving children at the two intersections, city officials say the amount of traffic and potential dangers justify crossing guards.
City Manager Michael W. Parness said the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which is scheduled to take over law enforcement services in San Clemente this summer, will be able to accommodate the crossing guard program. The cost for a Sheriff’s Department guard is about $9,000 per year.
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