MOLINE, Ill. — With kids going back to school soon, the City of Moline is in need of school crossing guards to help supervise 20 crosswalks. The program is managed by the Moline Police Department, which announced the shortage in a press release.
Nine guards need to be hired by August 25 in order to solve the crisis, according to the release.
Since the pandemic started in 2020, crossing guard staffing has been "a challenge" and as the 2023-2024 approaches, the program is at its "lowest point of guard staff in history." Between March 2020 and February 2022, the program lost 48 percent of its workforce due to resignations, according to the release. It has not been able to cover all 20 posts since that time.
"Parents and guardians should be aware that the presence of crossing guards will be limited this school year if we cannot solve this as a community," the release stated. "We understand this is concerning for your child’s safe route to school."
Four intersections are labeled as "high priority" due to guard vacancies. They are:
- Hamilton at Seventh Street and 32nd Avenue
- Logan at 25th Street and 18th Avenue
- Washington at 1550 41st St.
- John Deere Middle School at 12th Street and 21st Avenue
The crossing guard shortage is not unique to Moline. Cities all over the country are in similar situations, including those in Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a crossing guard can reach out to Human Resources Specialist Elizabeth McKenzie at 309-524-2065, or there is an online application here.
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