Now that we have been back in school for a month, we would hope that people would remember the speed limit is 20 miles per hour while driving through active school zones. In some school zones, 20 mph is the speed limit “when children are present.” In other school zones, 20 mph is the speed limit when the yellow lights are flashing.

We are ASTONISHED, not only at the people who speed past us while we try to safely cross the school children, but at the nasty words, hand gestures and dirty looks that we receive daily. Meanwhile, many drivers are speeding up the street to get to where they need to go, at the potential risk of injuring a child who may dart out into the road, especially around the elementary schools!

This is a reminder. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE remember that the speed limit in a school zone is 20 mph. If you forget, there are red flags, flashing yellow lights, — and, at one school, crossing guards hold up a “20” sign as a reminder.

Please help us to keep our children safe by slowing down. It only takes a minute or two out of your whole day to slow down!!!

If you cared enough to read this, please care enough to remind your teenage children, your neighbors, friends, or even your parents about the speed limit. And remember that those of us crossing guards, who are putting our lives at risk while trying to safely cross these children, are just trying to make it safer for the children.

Sadly, when a child gets hit, THEN people slow down. Our goal is to prevent that tragedy from happening in the first place!

-Molly McDonell and

Martha Ross

Issaquah School District crossing guards in Issaquah and Sammamish