Purpose statement
This procedure outlines the process for implementing and discontinuing school crossing guard locations within the Town of Oakville.
Scope
This procedure applies to all municipal roadways and eligible elementary schools within the Town of Oakville (town).
Procedure
Introduction of New School Crossing Guard Locations
The town provides school crossing guards at locations along pedestrian routes to elementary schools in accordance with the Council approved criteria as contained in Appendix A.
The town may receive requests for new school crossing guard locations from a school board (due to the planned opening of a new school or expansion to an existing school), or from an interested party (due to an existing condition).
Locations with a posted speed limit of 60 km/h or more, or school bus drop-off/pick-up locations are not eligible.
Requests for school crossing guard locations shall be reviewed by staff as follows:
1) Investigate the proposed location to determine if it is a safe and suitable crossing location for students.
2) Perform a warrant assessment based on projected (for future) or observed (for existing) school children pedestrian activity and other pertinent factors.
3) The following minimum student thresholds shall be met for each control type:
a) Side-street or Mid-block Stop, 5 students
b) All-way Stop, 10 students
c) Traffic or Pedestrian Signal, 15 students
4) If the criteria are met, the new school crossing guard location is supported and staff shall:
a) request funding approval for staffing the new crossing guard location through the annual budget process.
b) notify the school board and/or interested party of the assessment result
5) If the criteria are not met, staff shall notify the school board and/or the interested party that the request for the new school crossing guard location has been denied.
Discontinuation of an Existing School Crossing Guard Locations
1) Staff shall perform periodic monitoring of locations with school crossing guards, approximately every 5 years or as deemed necessary based on discretion. The percentage compliance with the warrant criteria shall be documented during these evaluations.
2) A location whose warrant compliance value falls in the range of 31 per cent to 50 per cent shall be placed in a watch list, monitored annually and assessed for ongoing trends.
3) A location whose warrant compliance value is at or below 30% of the criteria and/or the minimum student volume is not met shall undergo a supplementary review within the same school year. If the warrant compliance remains at or below 30 per cent in the next review, a recommendation for removal will be made for the forthcoming school year.
4) If the recommendation for removal is made, the location shall be recommended for removal through a Council report. Upon Council approval, staff will notify the affected school, school board, and local ward Councillors of the crossing guard location removal within the current year.
5) Additionally, upon receipt of notification from a school board that a school crossing guard location is no longer required, due to a school closure or boundary change, the school crossing guard location shall be removed.
Crossing Guard Allocation for New Elementary Schools
When a new elementary school opens, the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB), Halton District School Board (HDSB), Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir, Conseil scolaire Viamonde or staff may recommend the establishment of crossing guard locations. The precise locations and number will be determined in coordination with the school board based on the anticipated walking routes. These locations will be monitored and, if necessary, adjusted during the first school year to align with the actual pedestrian traffic patterns observed.
Inclement Weather Procedure
This procedure defines the parameters for crossing guard duties during extreme cold and heat weather conditions. When extreme heat or cold weather conditions are forecasted during scheduled crossing guard shift times, guards will not be on duty, regardless of the actual temperatures at the time. Specifically, crossing guards will not be on duty if:
- The temperature, including windchill, is forecasted to be -30°C or colder
- The temperature or humidex is forecasted to reach or exceed 40°C
Additionally, service disruptions may occur due to unforeseeable or actual extreme events such as flooding, hailstorms, tornadoes, blizzards, or ice storms.
Inclement Weather Notification Process
Every effort will be made to communicate cancellation prior day in advance. However, there may be unforeseen circumstances when a cancellation is necessary with little or no notice. All groups listed—Crossing Guards, School Boards, Schools Individually, Halton School Transportation Service (HSTS), Senior Leadership Team, Councillors, Communication Department (Social Media Outlets), and Service Oakville—will be notified of the cancellation. Schools will be asked to include this Inclement Weather Procedure in their parent newsletters at the beginning of the school year.
Definitions
School Crossing Guard: refers to a person sixteen years of age or older who is directing the movement of persons across a highway and who is employed by the town.
School children pedestrian: includes school children from Kindergarten to grade 6.
Eligible Elementary School: a publicly funded school with children in Kindergarten to grade 6.
Interested Party: Mayor, Council or Ward Councillor, a school board, a school administration, the Director of Roads and Works Operations, the Director of Transportation and Engineering or parent council of an eligible elementary school.
Responsibilities
The Director of Transportation and Engineering: Responsible for ensuring compliance, maintenance, and interpretation of the procedure for the School Crossing Guard Introduction and Discontinuation sections.
The Director of Roads and Works Operations: Responsible for ensuring compliance, maintenance, and interpretation of the procedure for the Inclement Weather section.