MIDLAND, Texas — When it comes to making sure students get home safely, the crossing guard is an essential part of any school system.
Midland ISD is no exception to this.
It's part of the reason why the MISD school board heard a report updating them on the crossing guards for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.
“We walked through, you know, financial implications for the school district and different agreements that are in place across the state with different school districts and municipalities as it relates to crossing guards and crosswalks and school flashers," said MISD Chief Communications Officer Lindsey White.
On July 9, Midland City Council voted to table a contract renewal for the crossing guards, hoping to split the cost with the school district.
It was this reason that led to the district doing their homework to see what they could do in regards to cooperating with the city.
“MISD did a lot of homework and some research to really find out how crossing guards are contracted across the state and just to make sure that we had all the facts and implications financially for the district as well as get some historical perspective on how crossing guards have been handled,” White said.
Parents, however, can breathe a sigh of relief.
Midland City Council voted to approve a crossing guard contract with a third-party company on July 23.
While the city and district are still in talks on if they should split the costs and how much each side should pay, the crossing guards and everything that comes with them will be in action for the school year.
“We are very grateful to the City of Midland for renewing the contract with the crossing guards," White said. "The safety of our student pedestrians is top priority for us and so we want our students to be safe as they're crossing those streets on their way to school. We're just really glad that everything fell into place and that crossing guards will be here for the 24-25 school year.”
White took the opportunity to send a reminder to parents and everyone driving around a school zone that the safety of their students rely heavily on their crossing guard, who help keep everyone safe.
“We want to remind the community to be on the lookout for student pedestrians and those school zones that will be back in place starting August 1st. With the return of some of our partner campuses, safety is a top priority for the district, especially related to our student pedestrians," White said. "We appreciate the crossing guards that come out every morning and afternoon to make sure that our students are are safe as they're crossing those roadways, coming to school and then returning home as well.”