When the pedestrian stoplight on North Cooper Street gave the signal to walk Friday morning, it announced the crossing out loud: “Webb Elementary School.”
Mayor Jim Ross and four eighth graders stepped off the curb together.
Three years ago, the students built bridge models in a gifted-and-talented fifth grade class and cold-called the mayor’s office with a proposal: Make crossing the street safer. Part of that idea became reality Friday when the four students walked across a street that they often dreaded crossing.
“It was cool to know that he took an interest in our idea,” said Edgar Toribio, 14, now at Nichols Junior High School.
The students’ teacher, Kathy Kaju, worked with the four students since the first grade. When they reached fifth grade, she wanted the students to apply their learning to something beyond the classroom. Enter: The bridges project, a research-based assignment for gifted-and-talented students.
“I wanted to turn it into a real-world situation,” Kaju said. “I said, ‘Well, how about getting kids across Cooper Street safer?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah, we could go to the mayor.’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, you can.’”
A pedestrian presses a button to cross the street on North Cooper Street on May 15, 2026. The stoplight was installed after four fifth graders proposed a pedestrian bridge in 2023. (Nicole Williams Quezada | Fort Worth Report)
Students described North Cooper Street, which runs along the front of Webb Elementary at 1300 N. Cooper St., as a bustling road.
“It’s the busiest street around here,” said Alonzo Salinas, 14. “It’s between the school and the apartments where they live.”
Jesus Garza, who has since moved to Houston, said the danger on Cooper Street was something he had witnessed firsthand.
“I’ve personally seen a lot of people almost get hit, a lot of people get hit, crossing the street,” the 14-year-old said.
The students built bridge models using foam core, dowels, wood slats, wire, cardboard and paint. They tested structural principles in the lab and called the Arlington Police Department to gather data on accidents on the street.
Then, they called the mayor’s office.
Kaju said she deliberately sat away from the table when her students presented to Ross.
“I wanted them to do the talking,” Kaju said. “They did, and it was wonderful.”
The students were nervous. Jesus was afraid of rejection. Edgar thought they’d be treated like kids.
“At first I thought he wasn’t going to actually take it seriously, “since we were just a bunch of little fifth grade kids,” he said.
Ross took them seriously.
The mayor brought in Arlington’s public works director to review the bridge proposal. A pedestrian bridge over Cooper Street proved too costly, but the city committed to finding another solution.
The four students later met with city architects, and an answer emerged: A stoplight, Edgar said.
Shackelford Junior High student Jaqui Carranco, 14, said what surprised her most was that the city followed through at all.
“We just did it for the experience,” Jaqui said. “And they called us back, and they actually went through with it. But instead of a bridge, because it would have been too expensive, they did this. It was pretty cool.”
From left: Former Webb Elementary students Jesus Garza, Alonzo Salinas, Edgar Toribio, Jaqui Carranco and gifted-and-talented teacher Kathy Kaju stand on a sidewalk near their school on May 15, 2026. The four eighth graders proposed a safer crossing at the site three years ago as fifth graders. (Nicole Williams Quezada | Fort Worth Report)
On Friday, all four students returned to their elementary school and met with Ross and Kaju, who retired last year but stayed in touch with each family.
Ross said the project reinforced something he believes elected officials need to practice more consistently.
“Those of us who are elected officials need to listen to all voices, regardless of their age, regardless of their culture or ethnicity,” he said. “Some of the brightest minds have yet to fully grow up, and we can learn so much from these kids.”
He described the students as like his “grandkids” and said he was proud of what they had set in motion.
“The fact that these kids came together and came up with a solution to a very important problem — I am honored to be the mayor of the city that listens to these kids, that puts some real thought into it, and that we actually were able to do something with their concepts,” Ross said.
Kaju said she hoped the experience would stay with them long after eighth grade.
“It’s huge — something that they’ll take with them the rest of their lives,” she said. “I’m super proud of them.”
Jesus said he’s grateful to live in a city with a mayor who listens.
Seeing the stoplight go up felt surreal for Jaqui.
“It’s cool to see what they came up with and that they actually followed through,” she said.
Nicole Williams Quezada is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.williams@fortworthreport.org.
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