A 16-year-old student on their way to school was hospitalized Tuesday morning after being struck by a vehicle near South Lakes High School at approximately 7:54 a.m. The incident sparked renewed outcry from local officials over recent budget cuts to high school crossing guards.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn issued a statement addressing the incident along South Lakes Drive.
“I was very sorry to hear about the student hit by a car exiting the South Lakes High School drop-off this morning. While this is not the intersection where a school crossing guard was previously posted, this incident highlights that our school safety programs should not be the target of discretionary cuts,” Alcorn said.
The Fairfax County Police Department reported that the student was not in a crosswalk, was hit at a location that did not have a crossing guard previously, and suffered minor injuries. The driver remained on the scene and was cited for failing to stop before entering a highway, a traffic infraction under state law.
Melanie Meren, Fairfax County School Board member for the Hunter Mill District, posted video footage showing the teen lying near the curb beside a backpack as an adult sat on the ground next to him and sirens echoed in the background.
Six days before the collision, Meren wrote in an Aug. 26 newsletter that protecting children remains a top priority: “I also continue advocating to restore funding for high school crossing guards, whose absence this school year is painfully clear during student arrival and dismissal. As you see dangerous traffic situations at high schools, including South Lakes, please take a moment to share this content widely.”
Fairfax County supervisors eliminated 13 full-time crossing guard positions across all public high schools May 5 this year when they voted to adopt the fiscal 2027 budget, a move expected to save roughly $1.89 million in police costs.
Alcorn urged the Board of Supervisors to restore funding for crossing guards at the school's flagpole entrance and other high-risk campuses. He noted that during spring budget discussions, he unsuccessfully asked Chairman Jeffrey McKay to spare high school crossing guards from cuts. He recently co-sponsored a board matter seeking to restore funding at this month's budget review.
Alcorn added that while a crossing guard is needed nearby, officials must also address broader campus safety through stricter speed enforcement, technology, and infrastructure improvements.
Although speed cameras were installed on South Lakes Drive last year, Alcorn said removing crossing guards "goes in the wrong direction."
“Pedestrian safety has and continues to be a top priority for me across the range of local services ... especially around our schools,” Alcorn said. “Now is the time for senior leadership of Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairfax County to find solutions to the situation at South Lakes High School and at other high schools that present a higher safety risk after the Board’s decision to cut high school crossing guards in this year’s budget.”