Should Little Silver Spring for Longer Crossing Guard Shift?

Should Little Silver consider extending a school crossing guard’s time at a busy intersection for a student who arrives five minutes after that guard’s shift ends?

The Little Silver Borough Council debated a request by the parent of a student who asked that a crossing guard stay at Seven Bridges Road and Point Road until the child is safely crossed.

Little Silver currently employs 11 crossing guards, some of whom work 45-minute shifts before and after school for $45.40 per day and some of whom work 30-minute shifts for $41.40 per day.

The council’s discussion centered on whether or not it was sensible for the borough to incur an additional cost because of one parent’s request.

The Point Road School guard works the 30-minute shifts, according to Capt. Carmen Gary LaBruno, the Little Silver Police Department officer who oversees the borough’s traffic and public safety needs. The guard would have to agree to work the longer shift and the Little Silver Borough Council would need to authorize the additional pay, if the governing body agreed to the parent’s request, he said.

“My biggest concern is we have 11 crossing guards and if we have another parent comes along and says he or she wants a guard to stay later at the next post and the next post after that. Are we going to 11 guards staying later for 11 children,” LaBruno said.

Councilman Jonathon H. Bitman also voiced concern about where the municipality should draw the line.

“We spend over $100,000 per year on crossing guards. We provide a very comprehensive crossing guard system. It’s not like we’re short-changing any intersections,” Bitman said.

However, Council President Donald Galante said this particular intersection perhaps merited paying the additional cost of having a guard stay longer.

“I hear everybody’s concerns. Seven Bridges is an insane road. If we have one, two or three kids involved who need to get across and it’s $1,300 (additional cost), I don’t see it as a crushing expense,” Galante said.

Councilman Dane S. Milner requested LaBruno speak with the parent and obtain additional information regarding the number of children who may be crossing the intersection at a later time as well as how often the one known child reaches the stop after the guard has left.

“Maybe what we could do is get a little more in-depth on this. A good place to start is to ask this crossing guard how many children seem to come as he’s getting ready to leave,” Milner said. “Maybe this is the only child, maybe there are three children. Without question one child is enough to make this consideration because it is a busy street."