SALT LAKE CITY — Despite the statewide dismissal of schools amid the coronavirus pandemic, school crossing guards are still manning crosswalks as students shuffle in and out to collect homework packets and school meals.

“The first two weeks people were driving past and saying, ‘School is out, you stupid people,’ and then they’d flip us off and go on their merry way,” said Nelda Wiberg, a school crossing guard at William Penn Elementary School. “It’s gotten better now.”

She recalled “bringing a little bit of humor” into the work this week by making signs that said “working for toilet paper,” which inspired a more positive community response.

Wiberg, who has been a school crossing guard for five years, called the job rewarding, though she noted she’s seen a decrease in kids accessing the crosswalks each day, dropping from about 100 kids during regular school hours to around 10 heading in to get food.

Despite the decreased use, Wiberg said she’s grateful to be there.

“Where we cross is low-income housing,” she said. “We get a lot of the kids that don’t have anything. For them to be able to get lunches and breakfast is amazing.”

Unified Police Sgt. Melody Gray said the department is still operating all 170 school crossings and continuing the employment of over 200 guards for both the Granite and Canyons school districts.

“Our hats are off to them,” she said. “They have people that are driving by screaming at them, yelling at them telling them they are stupid — not obeying the traffic signals, that kind of thing.”

Crossing guards have been instructed to follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and to stay at least 6 feet apart from other individuals at all times, explained Gray, imploring the public to be courteous to crossing guards as they perform an “essential service” during the school dismissal.

“These people are out there doing a job, and we need to be aware of that and allow them to do that job in the same manner that we would any other day,” she said.

In addition to increased potential exposure, Gray said that coronavirus’ spread across the state has made crossing guards’ schedules unpredictable.

“Some of them go during their regular times that they would because you have children that are going to schools to pick up packets and those kinds of things, to get supplies from the schools,” Gray said, pointing out it really just depends on the school. “This stuff changes regularly on a daily basis.”

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson and Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox announced the closure of Utah public schools for two weeks on March 13, declaring at the time that the decision would be reevaluated.

That was extended to May 1 in a statement from Herbert issued March 23 — a decision that applies to K-12 schools and the nearly 667,000 children attending public school in the state.

Meal services at K-12 public schools will continue to May 1 on an as-needed basis — more information on the service can be found on the Utah State Board of Education’s website, which offers a map cataloging emergency meals available for children on a daily basis throughout the state.

According to the Utah State Board of Education website, approximately 50% of Utah K-12 students rely on breakfast and lunch provided from the state school system.

Related:

Utah K-12 schools, colleges extend dismissal to May; distance learning continues where possible

tah’s public K-12 schools will be dismissed through May 1 in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gary Herbert announced.

Gray said there are many children in Unified Police Department’s community who don’t have access to meals each day, which makes the school district and crossing guards’ work especially important.

She said that while things are changing every day, there’s a definite need in the community for these services and she doesn’t anticipate the meals to go away.

“We will still need to continue having those kids have that safe route to get those meals,” Gray explained.

Because so many people in the community believe schools are completely closed, crossing guards’ work is especially important because some drivers aren’t looking for children.

“We need to be super diligent,” Gray said. “Because not only are they (traveling to and from school) at different times, but they are out there. We need to be watching for them, and that’s what these crossing guards are doing. They’re protecting our children.”

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera echoed this caution.

“Schools continue to provide important resources for our community. We need the community’s help to keep students and crossing guards safe. Please keep your eyes open when driving near schools, obey lights and signs and be patient as students use crossings,” she said.

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