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Committee directs CAO to find funds to keep crossing guards after DOT reports $1.5 million shortfall
Summary
The committee voted to continue crossing guard services through the school year while directing the CAO to identify alternate funding; LADOT reported an estimated $1.5 million gap after bonuses and retroactive pay increased program costs.
The Budget and Finance Committee voted to keep Los Angeles’ school crossing guard program operating at current levels through the end of the school year and directed the City Administrative Officer to identify alternative funding sources at midyear to cover a projected shortfall.
Assistant General Manager Kevin Minh of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation told the committee that the department’s initial estimate of the crossing guard funding problem was about $3.3 million, refined to roughly $2.5 million after updating payroll systems and bonus eligibility. Using that updated data, DOT described an approximate $1.5 million deficit for the current fiscal year.
Kevin Minh said, “At the beginning of fiscal year, we knew we had a bit of a math problem with our crossing guard program given, and we cost limit increases, bonuses, retroactive payments that we would have to make to the crossing guards… Our initial estimate… was around $3,300,000.” After implementing bonuses into payroll systems, he said the estimate was refined to about $2.5 million.
DOT staff told the committee they expect current funds to run through roughly May but that a clear funding commitment is needed before LAUSD spring break so the department can communicate any program changes to LAUSD and bargaining units. Without added funding, staff warned the program would likely have to be suspended in May to avoid unpaid salaries.
The CAO representative said there are funds in an appropriated payroll cancellation account but stressed that the account is also earmarked to address other citywide overspending, including pay adjustments for the Fire Department. The CAO asked the committee to give flexibility in identifying which accounts will be used and said midyear Financial Status Report (FSR) materials in March will allow a more global solution for covering overspending.
Council members suggested structuring the operational response to maximize FEMA reimbursement (overtime hours could be eligible) and to consider hiring temporary staff or contractors to manage application and review workloads if needed. Committee members also proposed segregating application review work to make it easier to track eligible overtime for reimbursement.
The committee adopted an amendment offered by Councilmember Blumenfield to direct the CAO to identify alternative funding in the midyear FSR and to confirm that Crossing Guard services will continue at the same level through the end of the school year. The motion passed by roll call (Yaroslavsky, Blumenfield, McCosker and Hernandez voting yes; Hutt absent).
Ending: DOT will continue the program through May with the expectation the CAO will recommend funding solutions in the March midyear FSR; staff emphasized they need a funding commitment soon to avoid service disruption and to meet notification timelines with LAUSD and unions.
