photo by: Mike Yoder/Lawrence Journal-World

This Journal-World file photos shows a mother and child cross 23rd Street at Ousdahl Road with the help of a crossing guard after school lets out at Schwegler School Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

Lawrence families walking their children to school this year may notice fewer crossing guards helping them navigate certain streets.

As part of its consent agenda, the Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday approved a new school area traffic control policy, which included revamping the city’s crossing guard locations for the 2021-22 school year. The consent agenda allows the commissioners to approve several items at once without discussion.

While the plan added three new crossing guard locations, it also removed 10 others from around town. The new locations are set to begin on Thursday, which is the first full day of school for the Lawrence school district, the city announced in a news release.

Two of the added locations include 27th Terrace and Louisiana Street for Broken Arrow Elementary and Billy Mills Middle School and Harvard Road and Crestline Drive for Sunset Hill Elementary and West Middle School.

Additionally, the third location was added by request at Clinton Parkway and Inverness Drive for a route to Sunflower Elementary and Southwest Middle school. However, it will be under a pilot program and will be evaluated throughout the school year.

Meanwhile, 10 crossing guard locations were removed from the plan for not meeting the city’s requirements to retain a guard, which are listed in the policy. Those locations include 27th Street and Belle Haven Drive, 27th Street and Wildflower Drive, and Winged Foot Court and Inverness Drive, among several others.

The city also said its “best intention” is to have a guard at each of the 16 locations every school day, but it may not be able to because of staffing constraints.

photo by: City of Lawrence

This map shows the City of Lawrence’s designated safe routes to schools and locations for crossing guards near schools for the 2021-22 school year.

The crossing guard locations and their corresponding schools for the 2021-22 school year include:

• 27th Terrace and Louisiana Street, Broken Arrow Elementary and Billy Mills Middle School

• Harvard Road and Crestline Drive, Sunset Hill Elementary and West Middle School

• Clinton Parkway at Inverness Drive, Sunflower Elementary and Southwest Middle School

• 19th and Harper streets, Prairie Park Elementary and Liberty Memorial Central Middle School

• 19th and Massachusetts street, Cordley Elementary and Liberty Memorial Central Middle School

• 19th and Vermont streets, Cordley Elementary and Liberty Memorial Central Middle School

• 27th and Louisiana streets, Broken Arrow Elementary and Billy Mills Middle School

• 27th Street and Mayfair Place, Prairie Park Elementary and Billy Mills Middle School

• Sixth and Mississippi streets, Pinckney Elementary and Liberty Memorial Central

• Sixth Street and Schwarz Road, West Middle School and Hillcrest and Sunset Hill elementary schools

• Seventh and Locust streets, Woodlawn Elementary and Liberty Memorial Central Middle School

• Ninth Street and Schwarz Road, West Middle School and Hillcrest and Sunset Hill elementary schools

• Harvard Road and George Williams Way, Langston Hughes Elementary

• Princeton Boulevard and Lawrence Avenue, Deerfield Elementary and West Middle School

• 23rd Street and Ousdahl Road, Schwegler Elementary and Billy Mills Middle School

• 23rd and Harper Streets, Prairie Park Elementary

An interactive map with the locations of the crossing guards and other information related to the city’s updated traffic policy can be found on the city’s website, lawrenceks.org/school-traffic-control.