Safety Petition Addresses 'Dangerous' Buffalo Grove Intersections

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — For several years, some Community Consolidated District 21 parents and community members have been waiting for school administrators and the Village of Buffalo Grove to address their concerns regarding what they call "extremely dangerous" intersections on and near Arlington Heights Road. Last week, an online petition was started. As of Tuesday morning, it had reached 900 signatures of its goal of 1,000.

In response, CCSD21 said it will soon be placing crossing guards at Bernard Drive/Nichols Avenue and Arlington Heights Road and at Plum Grove Road and Arlington Heights Road. Michelle Simon, who started the petition at change.org, said the issue needs to be resolved immediately.

"While they [CCSD21] are diligently working, something temporary needs to be put in place now," Simon told Patch. "This is clearly a very important issue to many families as we have 900 parents' voices heard."

Patch reached out to CCSD21, which is headquartered in Wheeling, about the petition and was provided with a letter sent to parents from Cooper Middle School and Longfellow Elementary School on Sunday from Superintendent Dr. Michael Connolly. In the letter, he said the district is working in partnership with the Village to put crossing guards in place, but admits the hiring process will take some time due to background checks and training.

"Until these measures are in place, we recommend students proceed with caution at the intersection of Bernard [Drive]/Nichols and Arlington Heights Road if they choose to walk, or continue to utilize the transportation provided," Connolly said.

He also said the district is working with the Village on signage, student education and additional measures to enhance safety at the intersections.

"The bus is not a solution when you can conveniently walk across the street. Actions need to be put into place, not just words," said Simon, who has a daughter attending Cooper Middle School.

She said there is a crosswalk currently at Plum Grove Road, but cars do not stop for students and it is up to the students to decide when it's safe to walk.

Some of the crossing guard issues within the district date back a number of years. Prior to the start of the 2015-2016 school year, Patch reported on a dispute between CCSD21 and the Village of Buffalo Grove revolving around who should foot the bill for crossing guards. At that time, the Village, which had fully paid for crossing-guard services in the past, contended CCSD21 owed $24,000 as part of a cost-sharing program in three locations, including Arlington Heights Road and Bernard Drive. The school district responded, saying crossing guards are a matter of "public safety."

Kate Hyland was CCSD21 superintendent at the time. Connolly was hired beginning with the 2018-2019 school year.

RELATED: Dispute Over Crossing Guards Rages Days Before School Starts for District 21

After negotiations stalled in 2015, crossing guards were removed from the intersections of Arlington Heights Road and Bernard Drive, as well as at the other two locations.

Fast-forward to the present following COVID-19 shutdowns, and the intersection safety issues have returned, according to organizers and signees of the petition. Ellyn Burnett, a CCSD21 parent with students that use the intersections and president of the Cooper Middle School PTO, tells Patch the district has returned to a "new normal" for the 2022-2023 school year.

Burnett said COVID-19 paused the initiative to secure crossing guards at the intersections, but now more cars are back on the roads, leading to greater congestion on Arlington Heights Road and in other places. In addition, Burnett said bus service provided by First Student, a student transportation provider, has had "significant delays" in pick-up and drop-off to start the school year due to a bus driver shortage. She said this has also led to more students walkers at Cooper and Longfellow.

"The petition shows how the community worked together for action to be taken," Burnett said. "There is nothing more important than the student’s safety, and [we] hope that a permanent resolution is imminent."

Regarding the petition, the Village of Buffalo Grove provided WMAQ-TV with the following statement:

"Buffalo Grove prioritizes student safety for all elementary and high school districts through its crossing guard, school resource officer and school safety planning programs. The Village is working with CCSD21 to address student safety for children traveling to and from Longfellow Elementary and Cooper Middle schools."