School Zones, Crossing Guards and Safety Patrols in San Diego

• A student patrol run with SDPD. The program the City publishes is the San Diego Police Department's School Safety Patrol, which SDPD says it established in 1935 to help elementary school children "cross uncontrolled intersections on their way to and from school." As of November 2, 2026, the page says it is in nearly 90 schools, with nearly 2,000 fifth and sixth graders as members.
• Trained and supervised by officers. SDPD says patrol members are "selected, trained, and supervised on an ongoing basis by Juvenile Services Team Officers from eight area stations," and that their jobs include controlling pedestrian and vehicle traffic and watching and reporting traffic violations. The program sits under SDPD Juvenile Services.
• The district's policy. San Diego Unified's Board Policy 5142 (Safety) says that, to help students cross streets near school sites, "schools may establish safety patrols," and that the Superintendent or designee may examine traffic patterns to identify locations where crossing assistance may be needed. School pages such as Golden Hill Elementary's describe the same SDPD patrol and say students who want to join should ask their teacher.
• Adult crossing guards. As of November 2, 2026, we did not find a City of San Diego or San Diego Unified page describing an adult crossing guard program, who staffs one, or a public form to request one. Some schools may arrange their own crossing help, so the school office is the place to ask what covers a particular corner.

• Start with the principal. Because the safety patrol operates at each school with SDPD officers, tell the school office if a crossing has no patrol, the patrol is not there at arrival or dismissal, or drivers are ignoring it. Give the corner, the times and what you saw.
• SDPD contacts. SDPD's contact directory lists Juvenile Services/STARPAL at 619-531-2270 and the Traffic Division at 858-495-7800 ([email protected]). The School Safety Patrol's mailing address is San Diego Police Dept., Attn: School Safety Patrol, 1401 Broadway MS 758, San Diego, CA 92101.
• If the crossing itself needs work. A missing crosswalk, school sign or red curb is a City Transportation Department request, not a patrol request. See Requesting a crosswalk, sign or red curb.

We could not load the Vehicle Code sections directly from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, so this section relies on Caltrans' California MUTCD 2026, Chapter 7B, which applies those sections to school signs, and on the City's speed plan.

• 25 mph when children are present. The manual describes the School Speed Limit assembly as a SCHOOL plaque, a Speed Limit sign and a bottom plaque reading WHEN CHILDREN ARE PRESENT. It says: "The prima facie speed limit of 25 mph is in effect based on the presence of children per CVC § 22352, not on the operation of the flashing beacons."
• No "when flashing" or set hours. For the same reason, the manual says "WHEN FLASHING" and specific time period messages "shall not be used in school areas in California." A flashing yellow beacon can still be used to get drivers' attention, but the limit applies whenever children are present, even if a beacon is not working.
• Reduced 20 or 15 mph zones. Under Vehicle Code section 22358.4, as summarized in the manual, a local authority may declare a 20 or 15 mph limit within 500 feet of a school and an extended 25 mph limit from 500 to 1,000 feet, on a residential street with no more than two through lanes and a posted limit of no more than 30 mph outside the school zone. The lower limit is not effective until signs are posted. The manual says these limits apply "when children are going to or leaving the school, either during school hours or during the noon recess hour," and also when unfenced school grounds are in use by children.
• AB 382. The City's Comprehensive Speed Management Plan says Assembly Bill 382 "authorizes a 20 mph speed limit in school zones through January 1, 2031, and establishes a mandatory 20 mph school zone speed limit statewide beginning in 2031," and allows limits as low as 15 mph in certain residential school zones. Always follow the speed shown on the posted sign.
• The signs. School warning signs, including the SCHOOL part of school speed signs, use a fluorescent yellow-green background, according to the manual. An END SCHOOL ZONE sign may mark where the zone ends.

• Where lower limits could apply. The City's February 2026 announcement of its speed plan says about 371.1 centerline miles are eligible for 15 or 20 mph school zone speeds because they are within 500 feet of a school, and 27.1 miles for 25 mph approach speeds 501 to 1,000 feet away. The plan lists the eligible street segments by Council District in Appendices D and E.
• Not final yet. The plan says its school zone chapter "does not set final speed limits or determine exactly where signs will be placed"; those decisions are made through findings adopted by the City Council after field work. The City said implementation was estimated to begin in Fiscal Year 2027, subject to funding and the annual budget process. As of November 2, 2026, we did not find a City list of school zones whose limits have already changed.
• Other speed questions. How the City sets limits on other streets, and how to request traffic calming, is covered in our speed humps, stop signs and red curb guide.

• New items: Traffic Service Request. The City's Traffic Service Request form takes requests for new curb paint, signage, pavement markings and striping, and traffic calming. As of November 2, 2026, the page says that due to budget constraints the Transportation Department is suspending evaluations for new streetlights, sidewalks, traffic signals, bike facilities, guardrails and non-safety related signage, but still accepts requests for curb painting, new safety-related signage, safety-related striping and traffic calming. The form has no separate option for flashing beacons. Help: 619-533-3126 or [email protected].
• Crosswalks. How the City evaluates a new marked crosswalk, including school-related criteria, is explained in our bike lanes and crosswalks guide. In August 2024 the City announced new or refreshed crosswalks outside 11 schools and said those locations "were selected based on location data generated by Get It Done reports and other requests for service."
• Red and white curb. Red curb and passenger loading (white) zones, which the City's curb policy lists for places such as schools, are covered in our red curb guide, including which colors carry a fee.
• Repairs: Get It Done. A damaged or missing school sign goes under Traffic Sign, which has a School detail; as of November 2, 2026, the form estimates 290 days. A faded school crosswalk or pavement marking goes under Faded Striping (515 days estimated as of the same date), and faded curb paint under Curb. A broken signal at a school crossing is covered in our traffic signals and signs guide, and a missing curb ramp or blocked accessible route in our accessibility barriers guide.
• Safe Routes to School. As of November 2, 2026, we did not find a City of San Diego Safe Routes to School program page. The City's Vision Zero safety initiatives page links its crosswalk, speed management and high crash location work.

• Moving violations go to police. Get It Done does not take speeding reports. SDPD's contact page says to report a non-emergency by calling 619-531-2000 or 858-484-3154. Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.
• Recurring problems. SDPD's Request Additional Patrol form is for recurring issues in a neighborhood. It notes: "This is only a request. Additional patrol will be assigned as staffing availability permits." Describe the days and times, such as morning arrival and afternoon dismissal.
• Parked and stopped cars. Use the Get It Done Parking form. It says parking zone reports are "reviewed for enforcement 7 days a week, 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m." and to call 619-531-2000 for urgent issues outside that time. It also says response times "vary based on the volume of priority calls." More detail is in our blocked driveways and illegal parking guide.
• What to include. The street and nearest cross street or school name, the time of day, the license plate for a parked car, and a photo taken from a safe spot. Do not confront drivers or step into traffic to take pictures.

Get It Done parking types that often come up around schools, as of November 2, 2026:

For how Get It Done works in general, see our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.

• District property is the district's. School parking lots, campus driveways, gates and drop-off lanes inside school grounds are not City streets, so Get It Done and the Traffic Service Request do not cover them. Raise these with the school office first.
• School police. San Diego Unified's police department says its primary role is "to maintain order and security on and near school facilities." It lists a 24-hour Communications Center at 619-291-7678 and general information at 619-725-7000. Its Field Operations page says officers patrol "the campus and surrounding streets" and lists a campus officer for each high school cluster.
• The district's 2026 survey. In July 2026, San Diego Unified published a report from a survey of its principals that found 107 school-based safety requests across the City, grouped by Council District. The most common categories were signage, school zones, crosswalks and regulatory signs; speed control and traffic calming; and crosswalk, flashing light and signal upgrades.
• Other schools. Charter and private schools, and schools in other districts that serve parts of the City, have their own contacts. Streets around them are still City streets, so the City steps above apply.