Bath Council to Reconsider Crossing Guard Funding After Child Struck

City leaders in Bath moved quickly this week after a nine year old student was struck in a crosswalk, scheduling a Dec. 3 Bath City Council meeting to consider using discretionary funds to pay for crossing guards for the remainder of the fiscal year. The incident has intensified public pressure on elected officials and municipal staff to act on pedestrian safety around school zones, and the council will weigh both the immediate expense and the safety return for students walking and biking to school.

The city manager emailed council members outlining the funding proposal and plans for complementary safety measures. Officials have committed to auditing walking and biking routes around the four Bath school zones to identify hazards and priorities. The city also plans to order additional signage for crosswalks that currently lack signs, a step aimed at improving motorist awareness where children travel to and from school.

The Bath Police Department has been active on the issue, providing pedestrian safety training to middle school students as part of the response. Parents and residents have been vocal in council meetings and public comments, urging reinstatement of the crossing guard program. Among them was a mother whose child was struck, who joined other community members calling for faster implementation of protective measures.

The council faces a practical budget decision between allocating discretionary funds now to restore crossing guards and incorporating longer term safety investments into the next fiscal budget cycle. Restoring paid crossing guards would immediately place trained staff at key intersections during school arrival and dismissal times. The proposed audit of routes and added signage could produce more permanent engineering and enforcement changes later.

For Sagadahoc County residents, the outcome of the Dec. 3 meeting will determine whether crossing guards return before winter weather complicates student travel. It will also signal how Bath balances urgent safety needs against competing fiscal demands, and whether short term fixes will be paired with infrastructure upgrades that might reduce similar risks in the future. The council could provide a timetable and next steps at the upcoming meeting.