The uncertainty surrounding the future of Dresden Area Central School is impacting the immediate crossing guard plans in the North Kent community.
Council defeated a motion to reconsider the use of crossing guards in Chatham-Kent at Monday’s combined planning and regular meeting. However, the staff report regarding the review of the adult crossing guard supervised school crossings was postponed to August.
North Kent Coun. Joe Faas said he is concerned about what will happen at the school crossing in Dresden.
“The rationale was to have Dresden remain as a crossing guard community because of the fact that the school may close in the very near future,” Faas told the Sydenham Current following Monday’s meeting.
“We have a good crossing guard there now that I am sure he is willing to stay. So we are in a unique situation compared to other places. I am hoping that the motion will come back saying we can do that.”
A Chatham-Kent staff report states the school crossing located in Dresden at the Dresden Area Central School warrants a conversion to a “Type B PXO” – which consists of poles on each side of the crossing with two signs, audible pedestrian push buttons on each pole, and rectangular rapid flashing LED beacons mounted on each pole facing both directions.
“However, a review of Lambton Kent District School Board’s Pupil Accommodation Report 2015/2016 indicates the school has been identified as a candidate for closure but does not provide a definitive time frame for this to happen,” the staff report states.
“The closure of Dresden Area Central School will reduce the amount of pedestrian volume at the crossing location and a PXO device may no longer be warranted if this happens. As an option to investing in infrastructure that may longer be required in a few years the Adult Crossing Guard program could be extended on a yearly basis until plans for the school are finalized by the school board.”
Faas said there is a lot of uncertainty as to whether this will happen.
“If that doesn’t happen, then the other alternative is we are going to be spending the $45,000 to have something in place, and that could be taken down in three, or four, or however many years the school board takes to decide to switch the kids to the high school,” he said.
“Where the problem lies and how it all came about was that not every place has a reliable crossing guard. I am not criticizing them, but if they are sick or they want to take vacation or whatever, there has to be a back up. We have to have a back up in place. The back up might be a municipal employee in some area and may come in to fill in for that because it is usually short term.”
The issue will be dealt with at the August 22 council meeting, being held at the Civic Centre in Chatham.
The meeting will start at 6 p.m.
Here is some more background on these issues:
– Dresden school closure part of ‘potential plan’
