Fox 28: South Bend, Elkhart IN News, Weather, SportsSouth Bend crossing guards looking for answers

South Bend crossing guards looking for answers

South Bend Crossing Guards are once again asking the South Bend Common Council to figure out a way to make sure guards will be at cross walks next year.

The current budget problems the city is facing calls for them to be eliminated.

They asked the council about money it was spending on sercurity for Notre Dame football games and a recreation center that will evetually be built on the west side of the city. They also wanted to know if any of that spending is why they will lose their jobs. 

South Bend mayor Steve Luecke answered those question reading a letter that was supposed to have been sent out to the crossing guards.

He told them the city spent over $116,000 in police overtime for the games and that Notre Dame does not help pay that.

He also explained a one million dollar donation to the proposed Kroc Community Center in order to get a grant to run the facility.

"In order to obtain the grant, we need to raise a match of $10 million. At my request, the council has appropriated one million as part of that match," Luecke said.

Crossing guards say they were not surprised by the answers, but are hopeful a solution will be reached soon as we head into the winter months.

"It will be getting dark soon and for the safety of the children. We would appreciate keeping our jobs and for the drivers to be careful," said crossing guard Sandy Dreibelbeis.

The deadline to work out a solution is in January. The city has notified the South Bend school district and interim superintendent James Kapsa has said he plans to have replacements before that deadline.