Skokie Set To Privatize School Crossing Guard Program

SKOKIE, IL — Skokie is set to privatize the program that has provided free crossing guards to local schools for decades.

Staff asked trustees to sign off on a contract with Aurora-based Andy Frain Services at Monday's village board meet to handle about two dozen crossing guard locations across seven public school districts within Skokie.

The Skokie Police Department has managed the crossing guard program for more than 30 years, covering the entire cost of one guard per school building and only billing the school districts for additional crossing guards beyond one per building, according to a memo from Police Chief Brian Baker and Assistant Finance Director Michael Aleksic.

"Over the years, this program became more difficult for the Police Department and for the village to financially support. The Village, Police Department and School Districts have been discussing the desire of the Village to privatize this program for the last seven to ten years," Baker and Aleksic said. "The last year, exacerbated by COVID, demonstrated that the Police Department and the Village cannot continue to manage and financially support this program."

Village officials conducted an analysis of crossing guard locations to determine which ones could be consolidated to cut costs ahead of a request for qualified contractors, which reduced the total number of part-time crossing guards from more than 30 to 24, according to the memo.

Police and finance staff reviewed proposals submitted in response to a request for qualifications last month, Baker and Aleksic said, and determined that Andy Frain, which also provides crossing guard services in Evanston, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Glenview, Highland Park and Oak Park, was the most qualified and experienced provider.

The company quoted a rate of $27.43 per hour, 23 cents per hour than the current billed rate.

"The difference in rate is because a supervisor position will be included with the contract," according to the memo. "The supervisor position will also double as a back-up guard, and the cost of the supervisor will be distributed proportionally to each district based on their percentage of crossings."

Police will continue to provide staff support to the program, including billing districts individually every month, it said. School districts were informed of the decision to cut financial support for the crossing guard program before the start of the current school year.