Funding secured for Dayton crossing guard

Last year, it seemed like all of Garrett Knudson's friends were walking to school. But his mom wouldn't let him.

He had to wait one more year.

So this summer, he got a new lock and chain, went over the rules -- and he's all set to ride his bike to school in the fall.

"He's so excited," said his mother, Kathy Knudson. "He's going into the third grade. He's going to be a big boy, you know."

But it almost didn't happen.

Knudson learned that the crossing guard who escorted students across Dayton Valley Road had been eliminated from the county's budget.

"It blew my mind that they were even going to consider doing this," she said. "If you have to cut the budget, cut something else. Kids' lives are more important than anything else in this world."

She began calling county and school officials and circulated a petition among her neighbors.

"Even people who didn't have kids thought it was a good idea," she said. "No one wants to be driving and have a little kid on a bike ride out in front of them."

Last week, she discovered the county and the school district struck a deal to retain the crossing guard.

"It was our philosophy that it was more of a school district responsibility," said Lyon County Manager Steve Snyder. "We reached an agreement that they'll pay for half and we'll pay for the other half. It will be a school district employee."

"It's great news for me," Knudson said. "I'm really happy about getting it reinstated. It's such a busy road, it was inevitable something would have happened."

Snyder said he was also pleased with the agreement. He is not sure how the funding will be secured for following years.

Knudson would like to find a permanent source to pay for the position.

"I just don't want to do this again every summer," she said. "I don't think that's right."