Crossing the street seems like such a mundane task. Just wait for the walk sign to come on and walk, right? Most of the time the only thing people have to worry about is doing a little light jog if the countdown gets close. However, as with most things, this mundane task is not as easy for children. The only difference in this case is that there is a very real danger of bodily harm if they are careless, and knowing children, there is greater chance of their carelessness than not.
There are many precautions that the district can do to ease the crossings, some popular ones being to install crosswalks in front of the school, but drivers are unpredictable and may not slow down or even look when approaching the crosswalk. A sure way to guarantee the safety of walking children is for crossing guards to take to the streets. Draped in their highlighter yellow vest and standing tall in the middle of the street, they are impossible to miss and act as the guardians for the children that depend on them.
Crossing guards directly benefit children, but they also play a large part in keeping everyone safe. Without them, unfocused drivers may speed and upon seeing children, will hopefully slam their brakes or swerve to avoid hitting them. Either of these actions are sufficient enough to cause serious accidents, and both are completely avoidable with the implementation of a crossing guard. Their brightly colored clothing is impossible to miss, even more so than the speed warning when approaching school zones. Simply by holding out their hadn, they halt cars in front and slow the cars behind them, creating a safe environment for crossing children and any other pedestrian in the area.
North Kansas City Schools, Missouri is seeking bids from qualified vendors to provide security crossing guard services to specified schools within their school district. If interested, click on the link to learn more. The bid closes February 27. 2026 at 2:00 PM CT.