Madison Reporter

As in-person classes return with the new school year, young students will be crossing streets again, to and from school, and some of them will need help to do it safely. 

The City of Madison is looking to hire crossing guards for the coming school year as they have been struggling to retain guards which are in high demand due to city traffic. 

Officials admit the positions are difficult to fill due to the unusual schedule for crossing guards, who typically start in the early mornings and are expected to return to their posts for afternoon pickup times. 

The position has also been more difficult to fill due to the ongoing COVID-19 health concerns, with the lingering of the delta variant. 

For those who may have an interest in the position, the job listing states that the position would be from 10-15 hours a week, with shifts from 7 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on all school days. The position pays $17.91 an hour. 

"Once they're hired, we have both in-classroom, where we kind of go over the steps of how to do the job safely, you know, sort of the traffic laws and how all that works. And then we take them out and have them practice," said Renee Callaway, City of Madison.