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Students and nonprofits press council to extend crossing‑guard funding; FEMA migrant grants also urged

Los Angeles City Council · December 13, 2024
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Summary

LAUSD students, parents and nonprofit leaders urged the City Council to extend funding for the crossing‑guard program beyond March 2025 and to accept FEMA shelter and services grant funds for migrant services. Public commenters described the program as vital to student safety and asked the council to identify funding to continue it.

A broad slate of public commenters on Dec. 13 urged the Los Angeles City Council to preserve and extend the crossing‑guard program that the city and LAUSD are jointly funding through March 2025. LAUSD student leaders, teachers, parents and community members described crossing guards as essential to child safety, particularly at elementary schools adjacent to high‑traffic corridors.

Student leaders from the LAUSD Office of Government Relations’ Student Leadership Council delivered coordinated statements: one speaker said the crossing guard program "creates a sense of community" and called on council to secure funding for the remainder of the academic year; another described an incident in which a friend was struck in an intersection before a crossing guard was assigned.

Separately, migrant‑service providers and advocacy groups, including representatives who identified themselves with CARESEN and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, urged the council to accept a FEMA Shelter and Services Program award to the city. Speakers said the FEMA award would support wraparound services for recently arrived migrants and refugees and help local partners provide shelter, case management and humanitarian assistance.

Councilmembers acknowledged the public testimony and proceeded with votes on a broad consent calendar. Later in the meeting Councilmember Raman moved to reconsider and adopt a CAO report related to federal FEMA award administration; the motion was moved and seconded and recorded on the public record.

Ending: The chorus of public comment underscores the council’s near‑term decision points: (1) locating or reallocating funds to maintain crossing guards through the rest of the school year, and (2) formally accepting FEMA shelter funds and authorizing disbursement to partner nonprofits. Both remain active policy and budget tasks for the council and administrative departments.