WYANDOTTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Parents in Wyandotte are demanding action after three students were struck by vehicles while walking to and from school this year, sparking safety concerns in a district that doesn't provide bus transportation.
Watch Carli Petrus's video report:
The incidents occurred at two schools: one student was hit outside Wilson Middle School and two students were struck near Washington Elementary School. With no district buses available, many students walk to school daily or rely on parent transportation.
"It's incredibly alarming. I'm not the only parent who's concerned. This is something I'm thinking about every single day," said Alison Shivnen, a parent who walks her daughter to school each morning to teach road safety.
Parent Erin Lovell created a petition on change.org calling for paid crossing guards at high-traffic intersections near each school. The petition specifically asks the Wyandotte Public Schools district and board to create and fund paid crossing guard positions, prioritize dismissal hours and work with city officials or police as needed.
Currently, many schools rely on volunteer crossing guards, including some student volunteers.
"I did," Shivnen said when asked if she signed the petition.
The district and school board responded stating:
"I want to openly discuss the petition I have seen circulating on social media regarding crossing guards. First and foremost, I love civic engagement. However, we are not on opposite sides of the issue when it comes to crossing guards. I do want to clarify, as I have in previous notes, that it is not an issue of not having the budget, we will make that work. The issue is we do not get applicants. The split shift (an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon) makes it a difficult standalone job. We continue to search for people to fill the role, and the link to apply is listed below. The secondary challenge is deciding where to place a guard, as our 5.27 square miles contain hundreds of intersections. When we secure a viable candidate, we will immediately put them to work ensuring students get to school safely."
https://www.applitrack.com/resa/onlineapp/default.aspx?all=1&AppliTrackPostingSearch=district%3A1161&AppliTrackSort=type&AppliTrackLayoutMode=detail
Shivnen believes more solutions could be explored, suggesting parent councils within each school could help generate ideas.
While crossing guards aren't on the agenda for the school board meeting Tuesday night, there will be time for public comment. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.
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