3 School Crossing Guard Posts Eliminated in Palm Harbor

Here's some important information parents will need to know for the first day of school Monday; three crosswalks in Palm Harbor will no longer be manned by school crossing guards.

"Every year we go through a review of school crossing guard posts… It changes year to year and some crosswalks have very minimal use," says Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats.

The committee that conducted the yearly review included representatives from the school board and school transportation department. The group analyzed traffic flow around the schools and at the crosswalks.

Money also played a role in the decision. Coats says they had to cut eight positions from the budget which is roughly $33,600. Crossing guard salaries are about $4,200 per year. 

But, because coordinators were able to shuffle the schedules of crossing guards, and have some guards man one crosswalk at 6:30 a.m. and then move to a different location later in the morning, only four crosswalks will not have crossing guards.

Three of the crosswalks are in Palm Harbor, the fourth is in Seminole.

The locations of the Palm Harbor crosswalks that will not have crossing guards are-

1) Highland Lakes Blvd & Lakepointe Rd. (see map)

Students should use a staffed crosswalk at Alderman Rd and Woodbridge Parkway.

2) Lake St. George Dr. & Kavalier Dr. (see map)

A flashing yellow light will be alerting drivers about the crosswalk. A sign warns drivers about the15 mile-per-hour speed limit in this school zone. 

3) Alderman Rd & Bentley Dr. (see map)

A flashing yellow light will be alerting drivers about the crosswalk. A sign warns drivers about the 15 mile-per-hour speed limit in this school zone.

The sheriff says deputies will be in the areas at various times.

Coats says it's all about safety as kids return back to school, "Parents should try to accompany their children to the school crossing sites if possible." 

Coats also wants drivers to be aware that school is starting and suggests they pay close attention to signs and the school crossing guards.

As for students, they should also pay attention to instructions from school crossing guards. When it comes to safety in general, Coats also has a reminder for students, "Be on the lookout for suspicious persons so you don't become a victim."

The first day of school in Pinellas County is Monday, Aug. 22. The Pinellas County School District is the seventh-largest out of 67 districts in Florida and is 24th largest in the country. This year, there is a projected enrollment of 101,431 students at Pinellas County Schools this year. The school district has 188 school crossing guards, along with 16 crossing guard coordinators and one supervisor.

Are you interested in your child's safety on the way to school? You may want to read about walking school buses.