Have crossing guards made Las Vegas Valley middle schools safer?

Middle schools across the Las Vegas Valley are already seeing encouraging safety results after the first full semester of adding crossing guards.

The first semester of this school year saw a 68 percent reduction in the number of students struck by vehicles near schools in unincorporated Clark County compared with the same period last year, according to Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft.

Eight children have been hit by a vehicle near a school so far this year, down from 25 last year, Naft said during a Wednesday news conference.

“While eight is far too much … and we know that the impact of each of those incidents has on the families, that downward trajectory is so critically important,” Naft said. “It demonstrates why the work that (crossing guards) … do each day is so valuable, so important and will absolutely help ensure that lives are saved in our entire valley moving forward.”

Seeing results

Across the Clark County School District so far this year, crashes involving a student are down 17 percent, with 82 kids hit this year, compared with 99 students struck last year over the same period, according to CCSD Police Lt. Michael Campbell.

This school year marks the first year that middle schools in Henderson, North Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County have crossing guards to patrol middle school crosswalks. The city of Las Vegas has yet to add any crossing guards to patrol middle schools in its jurisdiction.

Although officials had not budgeted adding crossing guards to middle schools this fiscal year, the city is conducting a pilot program, according to Las Vegas spokesman Jace Radke.

“Our transportation engineering division is studying possible positive impacts of crossing guards at select middle schools and high schools this year to see if this is something that can improve safety in the future,” Radke said Wednesday.

‘Truly helps our students’

The additions in Clark County, North Las Vegas and Henderson were made after several meetings with area leaders and following a Review-Journal investigation revealing middle school-age students were more likely to be involved in an auto-pedestrian crash near a school.

Jaclyn Ayala, principal of Canarelli Middle School, in the southwest valley, said she already has noticed the benefit of adding four crossing guards to work the crosswalks this school year.

“It truly helps our students arrive and leave campus safely,” Canarelli said. “We have seen a reduction in crosswalk accidents. … I’ve already seen a massive improvement of safety around school with our crossing guards here each day. Cars are slowing down and stopping, as they should, allowing students to safely cross the road.”

With many motorists becoming impatient when encountering traffic congestion in a school zone or not being able to find a spot to park to wait for their child, Campbell reminded drivers to practice patience.

“It’s just 20 minutes of chaos, really, in these school zones in the morning and in the afternoon,” Campbell said. “Whether you live around the schools or you have a child (that attends one) … When we hear that a kid is struck by a car, it cuts to the bone, it hurts.”

More about Vegas pilot program

Las Vegas’ pilot program, which began in November and continues through May, has added crossing guards at Cimarron-Memorial High School and Gibson Middle School. The goal of the program is to determine the effectiveness of crossing guards at secondary schools.

The city is collecting survey responses and traffic data as the pilot program continues.

“While the community feedback so far has been mixed, this program is providing valuable insights that will help guide future decisions on how to allocate resources efficiently,” Radke said. “By monitoring traffic data and observing conditions at these locations, we aim to understand whether the pilot has improved safety or highlighted new areas of need.”

The ongoing review, he said, will ensure that the city’s crossing guard program “is responsive to community needs and aligned with available resources, with findings being considered when evaluating the program’s future in the annual budget process.”

Rules of road in school zones

The Clark County School District increased its patrol force this year resulting in a 24 percent increase in traffic stops, a 25 percent increase in traffic citations handed out and 14 percent in warnings, with officers looking to educate drivers who have minimal infractions, Campbell said.

Metropolitan Police Lt. Anthony Cavaricci said motorists should be mindful of the rules of the roads pertaining to school zones, including obeying posted speed limits within school zones, which vary between 15 mph and 25 mph and generally run from 30 minutes before school begins and 30 minutes after school lets out.

When school zones are active, U-turns are not allowed under any circumstance, and drivers must stop when school buses are loading or unloading on roads. If a bus is displaying a stop sign and it’s an undivided road, all drivers on both sides of the road must stop.

“If you speed through a school zone, you’re looking at roughly doubling your fine amount for speeding and fines for up to $1,000 for subsequent violations for these types of traffic infractions,” Cavaricci said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.