Trustees to Vote on Crossing Guard Funds

City officials have asked the Orange Unified School District to pick up half the cost of crossing guards, and district trustees are set to answer “no” on Thursday.

City officials said this month that they found a 1995 state law allowing school districts to pick up half the cost of crossing guards, traditionally a city service.

In this case, the cost is $300,000 per year and the district is being asked to pay $150,000.

A meeting two weeks ago on this and other topics went so badly that Mayor Joanne Coontz removed herself and Councilman Michael Alvarez from a joint committee formed to ease relations between the two bodies.

“It has become evident . . . that the creation of political warfare is more important to some than achieving success on behalf of our students,” Coontz said in a press release. .

Councilmen Dan Slater and Mark Murphy will take their places.

District administrators have said they could only find two small school districts that pick up costs for crossing guards. School Board President Bill Lewis said he is opposed to the idea.

The proposal is set for a vote at the board’s meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at district headquarters, 1401 N. Handy St.

Information: (714) 997-6221.