LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Whether you're crossing a small street or a major roadway like Desert Inn Road, to get to and from school this year, you'll likely have a crossing guard by your side guiding you to safety.
“I’m here to keep the kids safe," said Lisa Hegman, a CCSD crossing guard at Cashman Middle School.
Hegman is going into her second year stopping traffic across a busy Desert Inn Road.
“I’m an aggressor, I love it. I love this job. I’m not afraid to step out in front of the cars, I’m not afraid at all," Hegman said.
Armed with a stop sign, whistle and reflective outfit, Hegman stops traffic to let the buses and kids though, but traffic doesn't always stop.
She says some drivers ignore the 15 mph school signs, going more than three to four times that speed.
“It’s irritating, it makes you like why? Like why are they in such a rush to get where they’re going?" Hegman said.
Hegman's crosswalk partner Wilfredo Rolon says he's almost been hit twice but took the job to protect the kids.
"A lot of kids were getting hurt, getting hit by cars, so I applied in October, sometime in October," Rolon said.
Channel 13 spoke with Rolon shortly after he was hired 6-7 months ago. He says he doesn't regret that decision.
CCSD says last year 138 kids were hit by cars going to and from school, a reality Danitza Profaca knows all too well.
WATCH here to see what CCSD police decided to do about it:
“It’s scary sending them from my neighborhood literally six lanes across, seven lanes across the road," Profaca said.
"I sent my daughter to a magnet school just to avoid this school across the street, just because of the traffic," Profaca said.
Profaca lives on Desert Inn across from Cashman Middle School.
She used to cross the road going to the same middle school decades ago. She says crossing guards are great but argues more needs to be done.
“You could either put an up or over like the eastside, or you could maybe put up more lights, bigger triangles that say actual crosswalk," Profaca said.
Clark County has a contract with All City Management Services, a crossing guard company locally that recruits and hires crossing guards. That contract lasts through June 2025 to provide these services across our valley.
CCSD hosted a hiring event for crossing guards June 29 - August 5. According to All City Management Services, there are still open positions in five locations across our valley, Henderson, Las Vegas, Southwest valley, North Las Vegas and Summerlin.
