Cincinnati Public Schools told the joint council meeting that it has taken over crossing guard supervision from the city and that, as of the presentation, 10 crossing-guard positions of 144 citywide remained unfilled for the start of the school year.

CPS transportation staff said the district conducted a summer review of signage, crosswalks, speed humps and flashing signs at every campus and created a matrix showing which sites lacked items; the district said it expects to push the Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) to install the top three elements (signage, crosswalks and flashing devices) at priority locations before school begins.

"We currently have 10 positions remain unfilled... That doesn't mean that we don't have crossing guards there. That means that we don't have a full time crossing guard there, for the start of school," the CPS transportation speaker said. The district said it hopes to reduce that number to zero within two weeks.

Board members and council members asked about non-CPS schools; CPS said crossing-guard provision for non-CPS schools is the responsibility of those schools or the city, not the district.

Why this matters
Crossing guards and improved signage directly affect pedestrian safety and students' ability to travel to and from school. Several board members said they will continue monthly conversations with DOTE and city managers to prioritize installations and staffing.

Next steps
CPS said it will continue coordinating with DOTE, publish progress reports during monthly meetings and attempt to fill the remaining crossing-guard vacancies within two weeks. The district also emphasized that some signage and crosswalk installations may take longer because curb and parking changes are needed for accessibility and sightline compliance.