After months of distance learning at home, cohorts of Coronado students are slowly returning to school, which means many bikes, scooters, skateboards, and pedestrians are returning to the streets twice a day.
In order to keep students safe, the Coronado school crossing guards returned to their usual posts at 7th Street and Orange Avenue, and 3rd and 4th Streets at F Avenue. Coronado Middle School does not have students on campus for P.E. classes, so there is not currently a crossing guard stationed at 6th Street and F Avenue between CMS and CHS. In a typical school year, crossing guards are scheduled for all 180 instruction days, but the crossing guard schedules have been modified for the 2020-2021 school year.
The crossing guards at Orange and 7th street are Jerry Manley and Barry Thurman. Mr. Thurman has lived in Coronado for 50 years and became involved in Coronado serving as the director of the Diocese Head Start Program. Mr. Manley drives to Coronado every day from Alpine and became a crossing guard after a suggestion from his son, who previously worked as a Coronado crossing guard. These two men are great friends and go lawn bowling together at the Coronado Lawn Bowling Club. Their favorite part of being a crossing guard is, “Meeting folks of all ages and shepherding them safely across Orange on their way to school or the park.”
Starting in 2016, crossing guards have supervised F Street crossings during two time slots: one at F and 3rd in the morning and one at F and 4th in the afternoon. Both shifts have heavy traffic to and from North Island Naval Base. The F Street crossing guard, Steve Brewer, shared the favorite part of his job is helping mothers with babies safely cross the street. As a father of three children, Mr. Brewer knows how tough it is to be a parent and also how tough it is to cross busy streets with many kids. He is passionate about getting kids and people across safely.
California state law does not require school crossing guards, but the City of Coronado opted to fund 100% of the costs for 15 hours a week of school crossing guards to protect the health and safety of their students. In June 2019, the City of Coronado selected Security First, a San Diego company specializing in security service, for the three-year crossing guard contract.
Safety was the determining factor in the district’s return to school plan and the school crossing guards are an important part of keeping Coronado kids safe every school day.
All of the crossing guards expressed how much they appreciate words of gratitude from pedestrians. Be sure to thank the crossing guards next time you see them!
