Back at their posts

The scene of crossing guards guiding children across school streets is one Norman Rockwell could have painted.

But during the first four days of school last week in the Lawrence and Hewlett-Woodmere districts, the crossing guards were missing. The Nassau County Police Department eliminated the posts after a survey of street corners and crosswalks, and did not assign guards to the places where parents and principals had expected to find them.

After protests in the community, the crossing guards were quickly reinstated.

“They were definitely eliminated, but there was a fair amount of uproar and they quickly turned around,” said Lawrence Superintendent Gary Schall.

Dr. Joyce Bisso, superintendent in Hewlett-Woodmere, affirmed Schall’s assertion that the guards had been cut before the school year began. Both Bisso and Schall said that they and other superintendents were not informed about the change until just days before students returned to classes.

“The notification right before school was unconscionable,” Bisso said. “Apparently, [County Executive Ed] Mangano and the police commissioner got a lot of citizen complaints, so civic action did have an impact,” she said, referring to the guards’ reinstatement.

In the past, Lawrence has had four crossing guards assigned to the Number Two School in Inwood and two at the Number Five School in Cedarhurst. As of Tuesday, guards were on duty at Sheridan Boulevard and Mott Avenue, Bayswater and Sheridan boulevards and Bayview and Jeanette avenues for the Number Two School, but a police officer was covering for the guard usually assigned to Doughty Boulevard and Mott Avenue. The Number Five School had two police officers covering the guard posts on Cedarhurst and Clinton avenues, Schall said. Guards are expected to be assigned to the posts the police were covering.