Supervisors to reconsider their decision to eliminate high school crossing guards

In response to a pedestrian crash on Sept. 1 involving a student, Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay announced that the police department will provide traffic and pedestrian-crossing support at 11 locations, including Annandale High School.

On Sept. 1, a 16-year-old student was struck by a car while walking to South Lakes High School in Reston, an event that drew criticism over the board’s actions earlier this year to stop funding crossing guards at high schools.

The student was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The driver remained at the scene and was charged with failure to stop before entering a highway, reports at-large school board member Ryan McElveen in an email to the community.

FCPS issued a statement noting that “this incident serves as a reminder of the critical importance of having crossing guards and other traffic and pedestrian safety measures at our high schools,” and asked the BoS to restore crossing guards at the high schools with the greatest safety concerns.

The FY 2027 budget adopted by the supervisors in May eliminated crossing guards at all high schools. The budget cut 13 positions and about $1.89 million from the police department’s budget.

That was done in part because the FCPD had trouble recruiting and retaining crossing guards. As a result, they had to cover some of the crossing locations with patrol officers, which restricted their ability to handle calls for service.

Following the incident at South Lakes High School, McElveen, school board member Melanie Meren (Hunter Mill), school board member Kyle McDaniel (at large), state Sen. Stella Pekarsky, Del. Laura Jane Cohen, Del. Holly Seibold, Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn, Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity, and Dranesville Supervisor Jimmy Bierman urged the Board of Supervisors to restore crossing guards at high schools.

Related story: High school crossing guards could be eliminated

During discussions on the county budget in May, McKay criticized Meren, an advocate for retaining funding for crossing guards, calling her a “bimbo.”  

The incident at South Lakes “happened because the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the county executive’s budget that cut high school crossing guards using the justification that we were the only local jurisdiction that had them,” Meren said on social media. “If you’re as outraged as I am, call and write Chairman Jeff McKay as well as your magisterial supervisor, and tell them to restore high school crossing guards NOW!”

The BoS will discuss restoring funds for high school crossing guards at its Sept. 15 meeting as part of its review of FY 2026 carryover funding.

McKay says, “The incident underscores the importance of continuing to evaluate conditions around our schools and identifying where additional safety measures may be needed.”

Since the start of the school year, there have been lots of complaints about students having to cross busy roads with speeding vehicles. Pedestrian safety is not just a concern for students, McElveen notes. FCPD data show pedestrian deaths rose 20 percent in 2025 compared with 2024. Twelve pedestrians have already been killed in 2026.

McElveen encourages residents to report to the BoS traffic conditions and safety concerns at high schools, including near misses, backups, blocked crossings, failure-to-yield incidents, unsafe turns, and conflicts involving buses or bicycles.