Unguarded school crosswalk has parents worried

When school lets out, children rush out of Cabot Yerxa elementary school to get home, with the direction of a much needed crossing guard.

In the morning, the crosswalk looks very different, though.

“Our school is the only school in Desert Hot Springs that doesn’t have a crossing guard provided for morning hours,” mom Erica Garcia said.

The city of Desert Hot Springs gets budgeted for only three cross guards, so the Desert Hot Springs Police Department put them where they’re most needed.

“The choice was we would put our crossing guards where there is the most vehicular traffic passing those schools,” Chief Kate Singer of the Desert Hot Springs police department said.

That decision upsets many parents.

“That’s pretty bad. They should have one here, too. They need to include all the schools. It’s dangerous. People are driving crazy. It’s pretty bad,” mom Rosa Davis said.

“It doesn’t matter at the other schools but at elementary schools, these kids are young and oblivious to what’s going on around them,” Garcia said.

The school pays this crossing guard you see at Cabot Yerxa in the afternoon since the city cannot.

“Those schools that don’t have cross guards, we try to increase our patrol presence when school is coming into session and when they leave,” Chief Singer said.

The police department says change can happen, though.

“Our staff is meeting with the staff of those schools to talk about potential for sharing, maybe relocating guards, but it has to be a joint effort between the schools,” Chief Singer said.

Parents can volunteer to help children get home safely — they just need to get training from the police.