Swampscott extends crossing guard hours

SWAMPSCOTT-Several days after a student was hit by a car on his way home from school, the district has extended the hours a crossing guard is stationed at the corner of Essex and Burrill streets.Superintendent Matthew Malone said his primary concern is student safety and he wants the intersection covered when students are crossing. On Tuesday, Malone said a crossing guard would be stationed at that intersection from 2:10 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. effective immediately.?This is something we’ve been looking at doing all along,” he said. “Placing a crossing guard there gives elementary students 90 minutes to cross that intersection after school is dismissed and it gives middle school students 50 minutes.”Malone said the money to pay for the extra 30 minutes a day would come out of the supplies budget.Clarke School student Dan Dumais was on his way home from school when he was hit by a vehicle driven by Ynes Paulino, 46, 177 Williams Ave. Apt. 2, Lynn. Paulino was cited for failing to stop for a red light and failure to stop for a pedestrian in the sidewalk.A school crossing guard was stationed at that intersection the day of the accident, but only until 3 p.m. The accident occurred at approximately 3:17 p.m.In May when Malone announced he was going to close Machon Elementary School and students would be redistricted to the three remaining elementary schools, many parents expressed concern about children crossing major thoroughfares, including Essex Street.Dumais is one of the Machon Elementary School students redistricted to Clarke this fall. Attempts to reach his mother, Catherine Dumais, were unsuccessful.?We will continue talking to kids about the importance of using crosswalks and staying on the sidewalks,” he said. “The young man did everything right. He was in the crosswalk but unfortunately accidents happen. My heart goes out to the family.”