One of my kids goes to Irene K. Mendez Elementary School. During the first week of school, I noticed that many children had a difficult time crossing San Marcos Parkway to get home to the apartment complexes on the other side. I asked several parents about this and was told that they feared for their children's safety. This part of Peter Garza Drive and San Marcos Parkway lacked sidewalks, crosswalks, and school zone signs. Mixed with fast traffic, this was an accident waiting to happen.
Not knowing if this should have been directed to the school district or the city, I went ahead and e-mailed all of the city council members and school board members. Several of them immediately called me and told me that my concerns were directed to the appropriate departments. They were surprised that nobody had called this in sooner.
Within a week, the city and the district worked together and added several crosswalks, student crossing signs, school speed limit signs with lights, sidewalks, and even a crossing guard with a stop sign.
I was a bit disappointed in parents and school employees for being apathetic towards the safety of our community's children at the end of the school day. All it took was an e-mail to the city council and school board. I would also like to point out that it was only council members and school board members of color who responded. They took the time to address an issue that affected children who look like them. They understand that these kids are not invisible.
I encourage parents, school employees, and other community members to continue being vigilant when it comes to our children's safety. We should not wait until one of them gets hurt or killed in a preventable accident. It takes a village to raise a child.
Antonio Castillo
San Marcos
