BETTENDORF, Iowa -- Beginning this school year, there will no longer be a crossing guard at the intersection of Spruce Hills Drive and Linden Lane serving students walking to Grant Wood Elementary.
The Bettendorf Police Department announced the change on Sunday, Aug. 19.
The move has some neighbors and parents worrying about children's safety.
"It's not the quantity, it's the quality of protection that we're giving our kids," Bettendorf parent Jessica Kendall said.
Bettendorf Police say they did a study this summer and determined that only two students were using the cross walk to go to Grant Wood, partially because district boundaries were changed, with the majority of students north of the intersection now attending Herbert Hoover Elementary.
"Just because there's only five kids crossing the road doesn't mean you shouldn't keep them safe," Kendall said. "That's five kids that could potentially get hit by a car and nobody would be there to help them."
Neighbors also expressed another safety concern about the traffic light and crossing signals. Police say the stop light and crossing signals will remain operational, but they are not working right now.
The Bettendorf Street Department says they will have the system working by Thursday when school starts.
Bettendorf Police Chief Keith Kimball says the crossing guard will be reassigned to a busier post.
