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Classes — and school crossings — resume this week

MARSHALL — Marshall students will be returning to class this week, and that means both kids and crossing guards will be back in the crosswalks near Marshall public schools.

last week, school district staff and crossing guards called for motorists to be aware of school crossings, and drive safely.

“We want to make people more aware of their responsibilities as motorists,” said Jill Schroeder, administrative assistant and facilities coordinator for Marshall Public Schools.

Dennis and Cindy Mitchell, two longtime Marshall crossing guards, said drivers should always obey crossing guards and respect the stop signs they carry.

Being safe around crosswalks starts with awareness, the Mitchells said. Crossing guards near West Side Elementary and Marshall Middle School are at work from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m., when children are coming to school, and from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m., when children are going home.

The most hazardous time of the day for students walking to school is in the morning, Cindy Mitchell said. The traffic is heaviest because people are traveling to work, as well as to school. Drivers should always pay attention to the road and whether there are children present, she said.

When a crossing guard walks into the crosswalk with a stop sign held up, all traffic must stop, including turning vehicles. Drivers should wait until the children have crossed and the crossing guard is out of the street before moving again.

The Mitchells said one problem they’ve encountered is drivers trying to “beat” the crossing guards — speeding up to get through the intersection before the crossing guard steps into the street.

“When you put up your sign, they step on the gas to get through,” Dennis Mitchell said. That’s something drivers should never do, he said.

Some safety rules for crossing the street apply to pedestrians. At intersections with a crossing guard, kids should always wait for the guard to direct them across the intersection.

“I emphasize to students, do not cross until I tell them to,” Dennis Mitchell said.

Students who are biking to or from school also need to get off their bikes and walk them through the crosswalk, the Mitchells said.

If there’s a crosswalk with a crossing guard nearby, students should cross the street there, instead of at an unguarded intersection.

Classes will start for students at different schools at different times during the week next week, Schroeder said. Students will be going to Holy Redeemer School, True Light Christian School, and Samuel Lutheran starting Sept. 3. Classes at Marshall Middle School will start Sept. 4, and students will start going to Park Side Elementary and West Side Elementary on Sept. 5. Motorists should watch for children, and slow down in school zones.

Schroeder said there will be seven crossing guard locations for Marshall Public Schools this year, mainly near West Side Elementary and Marshall Middle School.

Crossing guards will be located at:

• West College Drive and South Second Street

• Country Club Drive and Fourth Street

• Fourth Street and West College Drive

• C Street and Saratoga Street

– Saratoga Street and James Avenue

• C Street and Main Street

• C Street and Robert Street

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