Boulevard Elementary School adds crossing guard

The Facebook post "Demand Safety For Our Children Now" asked readers to sign a petition in support of additional traffic safety measures around Boulevard Elementary School.  

Vanessa Fitzgerald, a volunteer with the Boulevard PTA, submitted the post to raise awareness and ask for a third crossing guard, a digital speed display, and increased police presence during morning school drop-off and afternoon school pick-up times. With 76 supporters, the petition, along with the PTA’s other efforts, has resulted in positive change.

The school district has added a third crossing guard to the Boulevard site, at the corner of Lee and Somerton roads. This is in addition to the two crossing guards that the city of Cleveland Heights already provides.

Boulevard Elementary School is surrounded by two heavily traveled streets, Lee Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard, and currently has a crossing guard posted on both streets.

Boulevard Principal Michael Jenkins first heard about parents’ concerns regarding traffic last spring. He said, “We are concerned about the safe travel of our students to and from our school building, and I appreciate the work of our PTA to prevent an accident.”

This intersection does not have a traffic light and has a stop sign only on Somerton Road.  In 2015, a crosswalk was painted, and new signs and curb ramps were installed after then fifth-grader Michael Siemen requested these improvements from Superintendent Talisa Dixon at a school visit.

“We all need to work together, the students, parents, school staff and the police department, to do everything we can to create safe routes for our children as they go to and from school,” said Fitzgerald.

Krista Hawthorne

Krista Hawthorne is executive director of Reaching Heights.

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Volume 10, Issue 9, Posted 11:44 AM, 08.31.2017