Fountain Valley approves crossing guards contract to service 9 intersections

Fountain Valley finalized plans for a contract supplying 11 crossing guards for nine intersections around town during the upcoming school year, but some residents have expressed concern about one location that will go unattended for now.

Crossing guard coverage had previously included the intersection of Magnolia Street and Slater Avenue, but city officials determined after observing the location last year that it did not require staffing. The intersection is within close proximity to four schools — Tamura Elementary School, Fulton Middle School, Fountain Valley High School and Valley Vista High School.

Fountain Valley roadways, especially bridges passing over the freeway, have been impacted by the 405 Freeway Improvement Project.

A Fulton Middle School mother approached the podium during Tuesday’s meeting and urged the council to take a proactive stance in stationing a guard at the intersection, describing it as “extremely populated” and noting an uptick in vehicle traffic with ongoing construction.

“It absolutely pains my heart to see children cross this intersection with no crossing guard,” said the woman, who identified herself only by her first name, Nadine. “In our neighborhood, there are a lot of children who attend Tamura Elementary and Fulton Middle School.

“As a working parent, I struggle with allowing my children to walk or bike to Fulton Middle School. I would have more peace of mind knowing there was a crossing guard to help my children cross safely.”

The city accepted the proposal of All City Management Services over those of two other vendors to oversee the crossing guard duties. The contract is for three years, with the option for a pair of two-year extensions.

When students returned to the classroom after a period of distance learning due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Magnolia-Slater intersection was supposed to have a crossing guard. Police Chief Matthew Sheppard said some complaints from parents started filtering in stating no crossing guard could be found there.

Spot checks on the crossing guard company the city previously contracted with found no guards at the site, Sheppard said, but within those observations, the intersection appeared to be experiencing reduced foot traffic during times when students would typically walk to and from school.

Before unanimously approving the new contract, the City Council showed interest in reevaluating the necessity for crossing guards at locations citywide, a survey that would result in additional costs. Concerning Magnolia and Slater, Sheppard said placing a crossing guard there would add about $18,000 to the city’s costs.

“It went out, [the] RFP, for nine intersections and 11 guards, and that did not include Slater and Magnolia,” Sheppard said. “Since then, I’ve had several calls from the public. … [The intersection] still doesn’t meet the warrant, based upon previous observations. Is that going to change this school year? I don’t know. I won’t know until I see it.”

The first set of schools within the city to see students return for the new school year will start up again the second week of August, Sheppard added.

Crossing guard locations listed in the contract include two intersections at which a pair of guards will be present: Santa Cecilia Circle and Talbert Avenue (near Courreges Elementary) and Greenleaf Street and Warner Avenue (near Plavan Elementary).

Jim Cunneen, a Fountain Valley School District board member who is running for City Council, said the crossing guard program that services the city’s arterial streets represents an important partnership between the city and the local school districts that has kept students and families safe.

“As a parent of five former students in our districts who both walked and biked to their schools, I can understand the concern from the commenting parent,” Cunneen said in a statement. “However, as a governing member evaluating all aspects of an issue, we give weight to our decisions from current data provided by staff and by analyzing that current data in light of cost, safety and other relevant factors.”

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