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CC-CCUSD: ACTION ITEM - Discussion and Recommendation on Funding for and Management of Crossing Guards by the City and CCUSD.
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Meeting Date: June 4, 2024
Contact Person/Dept.: Ted Stevens, Parks, Recreation & Community Services
Phone Number: (310) 253-6682
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - CCC-CCUSD (05/30/2024)
Department Approval Name, Title Date: John Nachbar, City Manager (05/30/2024) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Liaison Committee:
1. Discuss and provide a recommendation to the City Council on funding for the All City Management Services Inc. (ACMS) agreement for the 2024/2025 school year; and
2. Discuss and provide a recommendation to City Council and the CCUSD Board on management of the ACMS contract.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The City Council, during the City’s budget discussion in May 2024, asked the City/CCUSD Liaison Committee to discuss and make a recommendation on funding for crossing guards.
Crossing Guard Funding
The table below summarizes the history of school crossing guards in Culver City, including the number of crossing guards and source of funding, as well as CCUSD’s proposal for School Year 2024/2025.
Prior to the 2022/2023 School Year, the Culver City Police Department provided crossing guard services near schools within Culver City Unified School District for over 20 years. Eight locations were historically identified as needing crossing guards to help ensure the safety of children walking to and from school.
1. Braddock Dr. and Duquesne Ave.
2. Sawtelle Blvd. and Rudman Dr.
3. Braddock Dr. and Elenda St.
4. Overland Ave. and Sawtelle Blvd.
5. Farragut Dr. and Coombs Ave.
6. Matteson Ave. and College Ave.
7. Overland Ave. and Farragut Dr.
8. Washington Blvd. and Elenda St.
The program was traditionally staffed with part-time City employees and managed by the Police Department. By the 2021/2022 school year, it had become increasingly difficult to hire crossing guards and staff all eight locations. For example, during 2021/2022 school year, only four of the eight identified locations were regularly staffed by crossing guards. The remaining locations were either staffed by Parking Enforcement Officers, if workload permitted, or not staffed at all. It was extremely difficult to recruit and hire for the crossing guard positions due to the part-time split schedule of two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon, and other factors. The crossing guard budget for the 2021/2022 school year was $98,696.
Due to the difficulty with recruiting and retaining crossing guards and the need to staff eight locations in the morning and afternoon, staff proposed contracting the crossing guard program (<http://bit.ly/4e1kjXY>) as a more efficient and effective option. A contractor would manage and coordinate recruitment, selection, background checks, training, scheduling, supervision, and payroll of crossing guards. In addition, a contractor would have access to a large pool of employees to help staff shifts, including replacing sick calls.
On August 8, 2022, the City Council approved an agreement with All City Management Services Inc (ACMS) for crossing guard services at eight locations for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon (<https://bit.ly/3V69dZi>). The total amount for school year 2022/2023 was $184,090.
On October 23, 2023, the City Council approved a one-year agreement with ACMS for $254,388 for the same eight sites during the 2023/2024 school year (<https://bit.ly/3Vbcu9Q>).
Mid-way through the 2023/2024 school year, as part of mid-year budget adjustments, the City amended ACMS’s contract to add 2 additional crossing guard sites for the remainder of the school year for an additional $51,170 (<https://bit.ly/3yBhIno>). The two added sites were:
9. Elenda Street/Garfield Avenue
10. Elenda Street/Franklin Avenue.
At that time, the City’s total agreement with ACMS increased to $305,558.60 for 10 locations.
On December 12, 2023, the CCUSD Board ratified a separate agreement with ACMS for crossing guard services at seven additional sites during the 2023/2024 school year for a maximum cost of $179,767 (<https://bit.ly/3VpFaNG>). The seven sites are:
11. Coolidge Ave / Port Rd
12. Port Rd / Purdue Ave
13. Coolidge Ave / Diller Ave
14. Matteson Ave / Girard Ave
15. Braddock Dr / Irving Pl
16. Braddock Dr /Elenda St
17. Overland Ave /Farragut Dr
On April 16, 2024, leading up to the City’s Fiscal Year 2024/2025 budget process, CCUSD Superintendent Brian Lucas sent the City a letter requesting that the City include in the budget the amount of $489,000 to pay for all 17 locations during the 2024/2025 school year (Attachment 1). The City Council, during the City’s budget discussion in May 2024, remanded this issue to the City/CCUSD Liaison Committee to discuss this issue and make a recommendation.
Management of the ACMS Contract
Since the ACMS contract began, conversations occurred between CCUSD and City staff about transferring management of the ACMS contract from the City to CCUSD, with the City continuing to pay for a share of the service by reimbursing CCUSD. These conversations have continued to this day. CCUSD and City staff both believe that it would be more efficient for CCUSD to manage the ACMS contract. Currently, parents with questions or concerns about crossing guards always call CCUSD staff, not City staff. In addition, CCUSD staff have eyes-on-the-ground at the school sites in the morning and afternoon, whereas the City does not. If CCUSD managed the ACMS contract, CCUSD staff would be able contact ACMS directly to address concerns.
At its meeting on August 14, 2023, the City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and CCUSD for CCUSD to manage the ACMS agreement (<https://bit.ly/455JaFX>). The MOU was slated for consideration by the CCUSD board at the August 22, 2023 board meeting but pulled from the agenda and has never been brought back.
Superintendent Lucas’s April 16 letter proposes that CCUSD manage the ACMS contract for the 2024/2025 school year.
Best Practices
According to the California School Board Association, “Funding and coordination of services are often based on local agreements between school districts and their respective city or county agencies…City or county revenues may be used to fully or partially fund school crossing guard programs, even when district operated.” More information is contained in Attachment 2, the “CSBA Fact Sheet for District Funding for School Crossing Guards”.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 240604 ATT Letter RE Crossing Guard Budget
2. 240604 ATT CSBA Fact Sheet
MOTIONS
That the Liaison Committee:
1. Discuss and provide a recommendation to the City Council on funding for the ACMS agreement for the 2024/2025 school year; and
2. Discuss and provide a recommendation to City Council and the CCUSD Board on management of the ACMS contract.