Who is responsible for funding Dallas’ crossing guards?

Dallas city council members recently debated the $5.6 million cost of providing school crossing guards at 286 busy Dallas school crossings. The funding for crossing guards became the city’s responsibility in 2018 after Dallas County Schools was dissolved due to a corruption scandal. Members of the council questioned whether schools or the state should help foot the bill, with some suggesting that the roles could be filled by volunteers instead of paid guards. The state requires cities with more than 1.3 million residents to train and equip crossing guards, but does not mandate payment for their services. Dallas City Marshal David Pughes suggested that the city could provide equipment and training for volunteers to take over the role of crossing guards. Council members also raised concerns about the rate of pay for crossing guards, which is lower than the city’s living wage, and suggested alternative funding sources such as advertising on the guards’ vests. City staff will work on exploring these ideas and report back to the council at a later date. The debate highlights the ongoing discussions around the cost and funding responsibility for school crossing guards in Dallas.

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