Parents fear for children’s safety outside local elementary school

Parents with children enrolled at a west El Paso elementary school told ABC-7 they fear for their kids’ safety during afternoon pickup.

At the end of the school day, the surrounding blocks of
Mesita Elementary are flooded with cars and students when the final bell rings.

“It is a bit of chaos,” a parent said. “You have to watch the crosswalks and stuff. They have volunteers at times and sometimes not. You just have to really watch the crossing.”

Kern Drive and Stanton Street become clogged as cars line the streets on both sides, limiting the access of incoming traffic.

“In the morning, there is a very convenient drop-off, but in the afternoons, there are so many people picking up their kids, it makes it tough,” Todd Ryden said after escorting his two children across a busy Stanton street.

When asked if he fears for his kids’ safety, Ryden said, “Every single day.”

A mother who spoke with ABC-7 said that drivers need to be more attentive. “It’s crazy. You can see all of the cars, but (the drivers) are not paying attention to the little kids.”

Parents say the lack of parking forces some parents to walk several blocks to pick up their children.

“There are just so many children in this school,” a student’s mother said when asked about the root of the problem.

A posted 15 mph speed limit sign flashes yellow lights, alerting drivers to slow down when school lets out, but parents said it’s hardly followed, nor enforced.

“In the mornings, it is even crazier because people are trying to get to work,” Leni
Pattison said after picking up her daughter. “They do not drive 15 (mph).”

Several parents are hopeful a solution will be reached to end the hectic moments before and after the school day. Some asked for a traffic light, while others want more crossing guards.

El Paso Independent School District spokeswoman Melissa Martinez says the school has already implemented the safest options. The three options include: a drive-thru to pick up or drop off you child, parking along the perimeter of the school to hinder students from crossing the street and four crosswalks to ensure pedestrian safety.

“Rest assured that police have gone out and checked them off as the safest options to make sure [students] are safe,” Martinez said. “We remind you to be alert and follow the traffic laws in the area and be mindful that there will be students who will be walking.”

If you want to apply to be a crossing guard, you must first contact the school and then receive training from the El Paso Police Department. Contact the specific school you wish to assist if interested.