Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
LEHI — Some of the sweetest greetings children hear on their way to school come from the school zone crossing guard. Crossing guards are a critical part of school safety. And school districts across the state are in short supply.
"We still need a crossing guard here at 1750 North," North Point Elementary Principal Cassy Saxton, said on Friday. "It's a great way to help kids feel safe, get to know families and contribute in such a positive way."
Saxton has teachers and aides wearing orange vests and helping children safely exit the campus daily.
"We have done so much to have teachers on our grounds outside with their vests on and monitoring," Saxton said. "But when our students enter the city streets, we worry."
North Point Elementary has an enrollment of 994 students. Nearby schools Liberty Hills and Lehi Elementary have half that number of students. With declining enrollment, Lehi Elementary is projected to be permanently closed next school year. The children in that boundary will be bused to the already bursting North Point Elementary.
"The teachers and administrators are so helpful and caring here," parent Maria Florez said. "Enrollment keeps growing, street construction is looming and they keep giving and giving. They must be spread so thin, and they remain upbeat and dedicated."
Christy Renfro has two children who attend North Point Elementary. She recounted how in August 2022 a child was hit by a vehicle at 1500 North and 2300 West with no crossing guard. The child was not seriously injured.
"After that I knew I wouldn't feel comfortable having my children walk by themselves to and from school," Renfro said. "I want to be another pair of eyes, because this area is so congested. I would be willing to pay higher taxes if it meant raising the paying wages for crossing guards. They are hometown heroes. We need them, and no one seems to be signing up."
"This is a service that isn't just strictly police, district or school — it's a community issue," Lehi Police Sgt. Robert Marshall said. "Today alone we received two to three callouts for help in crosswalks. We do have to take priority calls first, so it can get complicated."
Marshall referenced the safety hazard it is not having a full staff of crossing guards.
A former crossing guard shares her experience
Krysta MacFarlane has three children who attend North Point Elementary. She saw the flyers for needed crossing guards in 2021 and knew she couldn't complain about safety if she didn't step up to help. She applied and was stationed at the crosswalk in front of River Rock Elementary School in Lehi.
"Every day I watched drivers blow through the crosswalk at a tremendous speed. I was begging the police to offer more support," MacFarlane said.
"We were having a huge issue with fast traffic, and there were many days I thought 'This isn't worth my mental health.' There wasn't a single day where I didn't see someone FaceTiming on their phone. And it was such an eye-opener: If you want the community to step up and help by being a crossing guard — the community needs to be willing to step up and drive cautiously."
In 2022, there were several times MacFarlane's children came home saying they were almost hit in the intersection at 1500 North and 2300 West. MacFarlane requested to move to help kids at this traffic signal intersection. During this time, MacFarlane said a Lehi city truck continuously neglected to pay attention to traffic laws. This driver allegedly was crossing the intersection before students were on the sidewalk and then later ran a red light, she said.
MacFarlane reported the perceived negligent driving to her safety manager.
"There was no help," MacFarlane said. "There was no accountability. I rallied other crossing guards in January 2023 to attend a Lehi City Council meeting where we asked for more training and police support. Nothing came of that meeting."
According to MacFarlane, later that year in May, the city employee who had been driving aggressively through MacFarlane's intersection pulled his truck over while she was working and yelled at her for reporting him.
MacFarlane then resigned from the crossing guard position.
"I begged city officials for more support, and it never came. I believe in the pioneering spirit here in Lehi; I wanted to give back to my community. But if we are asking stay-at-home moms and senior citizens to walk into crosswalks with a handheld sign and no support — we shouldn't be surprised when few are rushing to apply. I hope changes can be made because these kids need us to help them stay safe."
The city of Lehi lists crossing guard positions in shifts. Guards can take a morning, lunch hour and/or an afternoon timeframe. Each shift is 35 to 55 minutes long and pays $15.34 per shift. Applicants are hired through the Lehi Police Department. Applications can be found on the career portion of the city police department website.
