Fact SheetSeptember 2015
While California law does not require school districts, cities, or counties to use crossing guards, many voluntarily establish crossing guard programs to protect the health and safety of their students. Students who walk or bike to school increase their daily physical activity, which may improve their overall health
1 and academic achievement2.
This fact sheet highlights some considerations for school boards as they seek to review, expand, or establish a
school crossing guard program. Since the funding and
coordination of services are often based on local agree- ments between school districts and their respective city or county agencies, understanding the available options and how other school districts provide similar services can be beneficial. As with any other student support service, the deployment of school crossing guards should be seen in the context of broader initiatives related to student health and safety, such as Safe Routes to Schools — a
program that provides federal and state grants designed to make it easy, safe, and enjoyable for students to walk and bicycle to and from school.
Considerations for school boards
School boards seeking to establish, expand, or review
their school crossing guard program should consider:
1. Coordination of efforts. Which entity or com -
bination of entities manages the program (school
district, city, or county)? How is the deployment of
school crossing guards determined?
2. Funding sources. Which entity or combination
of entities funds the program? Funding typically
comes from district, city, or county revenues.
Some programs have also been partially funded
through federal and/or state grants or communi -
ty-based organizations.
Regardless of the agreement at the local level, it is impor- tant that school districts work together with their local agencies and stakeholders to ensure that students and
families have safe and healthy routes to their schools.
Coordination of efforts
To effectively meet the safety needs of students, it is crucial that school districts and local agencies coor - dinate their efforts. Generally, cities and counties are better positioned to implement comprehensive safety
initiatives, which may include school crossing guards.
City or county programs are usually operated by the
police or sheriff’s department or another agency. In
some cases, a school district and local agency jointly
operate a program, with the district deploying its own
volunteers or staff where gaps in service exist. Some
school districts operate their own programs by either
employing crossing guards, coordinating volunteers, or
securing services of an outside contractor.
Alameda County. The Public Works Agency’s
School Crossing Guard Program provides adult
crossing guards in school areas in the unincorpo -
rated areas of Alameda County. School crossing
guard services are provided if requested. Due to
limited funding availability, school crossing guard
locations are limited. As a result, some schools
fund school crossing guards with their own dis -
cretionary funds or work with the county’s Super -
vising Crossing Guard to train parent volunteers.
District Funding for School Crossing Guards
CSBA | Fact Sheet | September 2015 2
Questions for school boards to ask:
1. What school crossing guard services are offered by
the local agencies?
2. Do these services meet our district needs? Should ad- ditional services be added to meet gaps in delivery?
Funding sources
Whether the school district, local agencies, or com -
bination of entities operate a school crossing guard
program, funding can come from a variety of sources,
including the district, city or county revenues, federal and/or state grants, and community-based organiza -
tions. The main expenses associated with such pro -
grams often include staff salaries and insurance for
employees and volunteers.
School district revenues. While full funding from dis - trict revenues more often occurs with district-operated programs, in some cases districts might pay a fee to
local agencies for services provided. Each school district can negotiate funding amounts with their respective
city or county.
fines and forfeitures collected by the cities and coun - ties under state law, such as Education Code 45451,
Vehicle Code 42200, and Vehicle Code 42201. While
not a requirement, there is an argument to be made for
the responsibility of the city or county to support the safety of its residents, including the provision of school crossing guards.
Federal and state grants. There are several state and
federal grants that local agencies can access to provide school crossing guard services to school districts. The Safe Routes to Schools program is one of the most
prominent funding sources. While this is a broader
program focused on infrastructure, a portion of funds
may be used for the training (but not the salaries) of
school crossing guards in the community.
» California Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S). SR2S
allows up to 10% of expenditures to be used for
non-infrastructure activities. Only incorporated
cities and counties are eligible to apply for the
SR2S program. Therefore, it is very important that
school districts, school site staff, and parents work
together with their local agencies to maximize the
benefit of the program. The state of California has
provided approximately $24 million per year for the
SR2S program since 2000 and the program was ex-
tended indefinitely by AB 57 — Highways, Federal
Funds: Safe Routes to School in 2007.
» Federal Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS). Funding
for this program is available through CalTRANS and
allows 30% of funding to be used for non-infra -
structure projects. State, local, and regional agen -
cies are eligible applicants, while school districts are required to partner with a city or county to serve
as the responsible agency to manage the funding
and the program. After 2012, the Transportation
Alternatives Program (TAP) replaced several federal
transportation programs, including SRTS. While
dedicated funds are no longer available, SRTS proj -
ects are eligible to apply for TAP funds.
Community-based organizations. In several cases,
school districts partner with community organizations,
such as rotary clubs, and other local funding sources to fund school and district specific projects.
Elk Grove Unified School District. The Elk
Grove Unified School District has a contract
with a private company to provide crossing
guards at eight sites with the highest traffic
and/or larger streets that present a greater
risk to student safety. Crossing guard duty at
remaining sites is provided by school staff or
parent volunteers. Expenses for the services are
covered by the district.
City or county revenues. City or county revenues
may be used to fully or partially fund school crossing
guard programs, even when district operated. School
boards may engage with and encourage city and
county officials to support school crossing guard pro - grams. Such requests, when linked to the public safety
responsibilities of the city and county, offer compel - ling rationale for support. Identifying specific funding streams would also facilitate the support. Examples
of city and county funding stream that could support
school crossing guard programs include misdemeanor
CSBA | Fact Sheet | September 2015 3
Questions for school boards to ask:
1. What resources are available in my city and county
to support school crossing guard programs? Has
the city and/or county received SR2S or TAP funds
that can support our needs?
2. Are there community organizations that can support
the safety needs of schools within the district?
Next steps for school boards
While each school district might have different coordi - nation and funding arrangements with its city or county to support a program for school crossing guards, it is
imperative that school boards understand the agree -
ments within their district and coordinate efforts with parents, community organizations, and local agencies
to ensure the safety and health of their students.
CSBA will continue to provide guidance on effective
governance and coordination of efforts to promote the
health and safety of students. CSBA partners can also
be a valuable resource. For example, the Cities Counties and Schools Partnership works with CSBA and other
organizations to foster coordination of local services
among cities, counties, and schools.
Helpful resources
California School Boards Association. Provides
sample board policies, policy briefs, and other resourc - es on student wellness, transportation, and establish - ment of a Safe Routes to School program. See BP/AR
5142.2 — Safe Routes to School Program and CSBA’s
policy brief Safe Routes to School: Program and Policy
Strategies (August 2009). www.csba.org
The Cities Counties and Schools Partnership. Pro -
vides resources focused on improving conditions of
children, families, and communities at the local level
by promoting and encouraging coordination, integra -
tion, and increased efficiency of local services and joint facilities use among cities, counties, and schools in all California communities. www.ccspartnership.org
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership.
Provides an overview of best practices for establishing Safe Routes to School programs.
http://saferoutespartnership.org/state/bestpractices
CalTRANS. Provides information on the federal and
state Safe Routes to School programs, including a
project list and legislative updates: www.dot.ca.gov/
hq/LocalPrograms/saferoutes/saferoutes.htm
Crossing with Confidence: Managing Risk When
Creating Crossing Guard Programs in California
(October 2014). This fact sheet by CA4Health and
ChangeLab Solutions discusses the legal implications
of establishing a crossing guard program and identifies concrete steps that school districts can take to minimize their exposure to liability. http://changelabsolutions.org/ sites/default/files/SRTS_Crossing-Guard-Programs_
FINAL_20140926.pdf
Endnotes
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Ac - tivity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008.
2 California Department of Education. A Study of the Relation - ship Between Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement in California Using 2004 Test Results. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education, April 2005.
Walking School Bus Program. A walking school
bus is a group of children who walk to school
with one or more adults. It can be as informal as
two families taking turns walking their children
to school or as formal as a planned walking route
with meeting points and a schedule of trained
volunteers. This program can be an alternative
to hiring and training crossing guards while also
increasing parent participation. For more infor -
mation, visit www.walkingschoolbus.org .