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Cy-Fair ISD elementary student struck by vehicle, parent advocates for safety measures

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Published  November 15, 2024 9:02pm CST
Cypress
FOX 26 Houston

Another Cy-Fair student hit by vehicle walking home

FOX 26 Reporter Jonathan Mejia has more on what happened and spoke with officials about what they're doing to address the problem.

CYPRESS, Texas - Another student from Cy-Fair Elementary was struck by a vehicle upon leaving the school, marking yet another such incident within the district.

Alexandra Price is a parent deeply concerned about student safety at Cy-Fair ISD which led her to contact her state senator seeking action on the matter.

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Price has been a vocal proponent for increased safety precautions for students at Cy-Fair ISD. Responding to the latest incident and previous reports of pedestrian-vehicle accidents involving students, she stressed the urgency for improved safety, especially after the district announced cuts to school bus routes due to budget constraints.

"It's really a shame that this is continuing," said Price. "You know obviously we’re dealing with school bus cuts. We have a concern as to the lack of communication between the county and the school."

She argued that a comprehensive safety risk assessment should be mandatory if bus services are not to be reinstated.

"Are the crosswalks within the school zone? Are the cross lights blinking? Are the crosswalks timed properly? In my case, for my children, they are not," Price added.

Tired of waiting for the district to take action, Price reached out to Texas Senator Lois Kolkhorst.

"Their office jumped in right away and emailed the commissioner and the county, and put me in touch with them and let me explain the needs to them and explain exactly what was happening around here," Price explained.

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As a result, a 90-day traffic assessment was initiated to evaluate safety measures, including the timing and location of crosswalks based on surrounding residential areas.

"Based on the evidence I provided, the county said that they would do a traffic control study here around our schools," said Price.

FOX 26 made attempts to contact County Commissioner Leslie Briones for comment, but her office stated she was not available for an interview but did answer FOX 26's questions:

  • Can the district increase cross-guards?

McGown Elementary School currently has two designated crosswalks manned by trained CFISD staff. Neighborhoods interested in organizing volunteers to be trained to monitor additional intersections in their community should contact their HOA/MUD, who will coordinate training with CFPD. Crossing Guard training has been offered throughout the fall for community volunteers.

  • Can more lights/signs be added?

Harris County determines where traffic lights are located.

  • Has the district communicated with city/county leaders to improve road safety?

We continue to work with HOAs, MUDs, and Precincts 3 and 4 to identify solutions and additional resources to address concerns.

  • Can more school police be present during school hours?

Two officers are assigned full-time to each high school, and one officer is assigned full-time to each middle school; day patrol officers are assigned to elementary schools by zones. Increasing police presence would require increasing staff, and the district is currently operating with a deficit budget for the 2024-2025 school year.

Additionally, Cy-Fair ISD did not respond in time for this report.