Schools · Valley-wide
Clark County Commissioners Approve $715,557 a Year More to Hire Additional School Crossing Guards
Clark County commissioners voted to add $715,557 a year to a crossing guard contract as student pedestrian strikes continue, with 122 students hit by vehicles since the school year began Aug. 10.
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What happened
Clark County is putting more money toward crossing guards who patrol school zones, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The Board of County Commissioners voted on Tuesday to amend the county's crossing guard services contract so it can hire more guards. The change is meant to address a rise in students being hit by vehicles.
Under the vote, the county can spend an extra $715,557 each year on crossing guards. The Review-Journal reported that the amended contract now allows the county to spend nearly $64 million on crossing guard services overall.
How the contract works
Timeline and total value
The contract began in July 2025 and can be renewed into 2035, according to the Review-Journal. The vote amends that existing agreement rather than creating a new one. The ceiling of nearly $64 million covers crossing guard services under the amended contract.
What the county said
In a statement, the county said, "The safety of children as they travel to and from school has been a top priority for the Board." The statement also pointed to earlier county efforts to place crossing guards outside middle schools. The county said the new action will allow additional guards to be hired so schools do not run into problems when they need more of them.
Details still missing
Several basic questions remained open after the vote. The Review-Journal asked how many new crossing guards the county will hire, where they will be stationed and when they will start working crosswalks. As of Tuesday evening, a county spokesperson said they were still seeking those answers.
Why student pedestrian safety is a concern
Las Vegas Valley municipalities have placed crossing guards at more schools in recent years in response to a rise in student pedestrians being struck by vehicles, the Review-Journal reported. Data compiled by the Clark County School District Police Department shows 122 students have been hit by vehicles since the current school year began on Aug. 10.
Last school year, vehicles hit 432 children, according to the same district police data. Readers following safety around campuses can find more in our schools coverage and in an earlier brief on a Clark County teen driver safety initiative.
What advocates say
Krista Holloway, founder of the student pedestrian advocacy group Walk Safely LV, told the Review-Journal the added funding was an amazing investment in student safety. She said crossing guards make drivers more aware of children on foot and help parents and students feel safer.
"I'm happy that the county is doing something about it," Holloway told the Review-Journal. She also said, "There's a lot of concerned parents out there because these drivers are not getting any better."
What to watch next
- How many additional crossing guards the county will hire with the extra $715,557 a year, which a county spokesperson said was still being determined.
- Which schools and crosswalks will get the new guards, and when they will begin patrolling.
- Whether the crossing guard contract, which started in July 2025, is renewed into 2035 as the amended terms allow.
