School board votes to ask city for rapid-flashing beacons at multiple school crossings

The Concord School District school board voted to ask the City of Concord to evaluate and prioritize rapid-flashing pedestrian beacons at multiple school crossing locations.

Staff presented eight locations under consideration, noting that beacons operate 24/7 and serve both school pedestrians and broader neighborhood foot-traffic. Jack told the board a rapid-flashing beacon unit was averaging about $25,000 in the research he collected; he compared that to the roughly $5,500 annual cost of a crossing guard. "The average price was 25,000 for the beacon. The average cost of a crossing guard is 5,500," Jack said, framing a payback discussion for the board.

Nut graf: The board voted to direct the superintendent to draft and send a formal letter to the city requesting study and prioritization of the eight locations; members agreed the item should be sent to the city's transportation committee for evaluation. The motion passed after a roll-call-style voice vote; the chair announced "All in favor? Aye." "Any opposed? Yes," was heard, and the chair declared the motion carries.

Board members noted the city is ultimately responsible for city streets and infrastructure, and several members said they expected the city to prioritize locations using its own criteria and committee process. A board member suggested the district should submit a single letter listing all eight locations and allow the city to prioritize them; another member asked that the board president or superintendent review the letter before it is sent. The board did not appropriate funds for beacons; the vote was to request the city study and consider the installations.

Ending: The superintendent will draft a letter modeled on the materials presented and share it with the board president before submission to the city; staff will report back on the city's committee response and any cost estimates that would affect the school budget.