Crossing Guard (Hourly)

Madison, City of (WI); Madison (WI); On-site; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

Join the City of Madison as a Crossing Guard, where you will ensure the safety of children at school crossings. This role involves outdoor work, managing traffic during peak hours, and providing supervision to students. Both permanent and on-call/substitute positions are available, offering flexibility in hours and work locations. Your contribution helps foster community safety and development during the school year.

Qualifications

• Experience in guiding and supervising children.
• Must be physically fit to manage traffic and perform duties outdoors.
• Ability to meet the transportation requirements of the position.

Responsibilities

• Ensure children's safety at designated crossings.
• Control traffic using a stop sign and cones.
• Communicate effectively with children and school officials.

Skills

Guiding children

Traffic management

Safety awareness

Job description

Help keep students safe on their way to and from school while enjoying meaningful work outdoors. If you're dependable, responsible, and enjoy working with kids, this may be the perfect opportunity! Crossing guards are beloved by their communities and make lasting positive impacts in the neighborhoods they serve.

We’re hiring for two types of positions:

• Permanent Crossing Guards are assigned to one specific location and report there each scheduled school day. Locations are listed below under “current openings.”
• On-Call/Substitute Guard positions fill in for vacancies at various locations throughout the City of Madison, as needed, and have no guaranteed hours. Employees may be eligible for standard/permanent positions as they become available.

This is routine outdoor work. Major responsibilities include caring for the safety of children at designated street crossings. Work is performed under the supervision of a Crossing Guard Supervisor under the administration of the Traffic Engineering Division. We are currently recruiting for the 2025-26 school year. Employment begins in late August.

VACANCIES:

There are currently 7 vacancies.

HOURS:

Approximately 10 - 15 hours per week, depending on location. General shift times are one hour each between 7:00 AM - 8:40 AM, and 2:15 PM - 4:00 PM with an earlier afternoon shift on Mondays. All positions assigned to a permanent post location work a morning and afternoon shift, Monday through Friday during the school year with generous time off during school breaks. On-call/substitute guard positions work on an as-needed basis.

CURRENT OPENINGS:

• WEST-3870 Nakoma Rd (Thoreau Elementary) --10 Hrs/week
• WEST-Monroe St/Odana Rd/Nakoma Rd (Thoreau Elementary) --10 Hrs/week
• WEST-Mineral Point Rd/Segoe Rd (Van Hise Elementary) --10 Hrs/week
• WEST-Whitney Way/Russett Road (Orchard Ridge Elementary) --10 Hrs/week
• EAST-Lexington Ave/Fair Oaks Ave (Hawthorne Elementary) --10 Hrs/week
• WEST: any corner location
• EAST: any corner location
• EAST or WEST: on-call/substitute position

Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, trans, nonbinary, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We value the unique blend of lived experiences and diverse perspectives that comes from non-traditional education pathways and the variety of transferrable skills each candidate brings to the table. We value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Even if every item on the job posting doesn’t match your experience perfectly, we encourage you to apply and share how your skills and experience can best serve our community.

• Identify and extend gaps in traffic with the use of a hand-held stop sign to allow children to cross safely.
• Relate in a positive way with children. Direct, control and guide children safely across the street.
• Set out orange safety cones in the street near controlled crossings multiple times per day as required to alert traffic to school zones.
• On-Call/Substitute guards will provide relief to regularly assigned guards at busy crossings or work such crossings alone as needed.
• Report problems, hazards and mishaps to the immediate supervisor and to school officials.
• Correctly fill out forms such as failure to yield, student count sheets, workers compensation-injury, and miscellaneous forms as needed.
• Identify oneself to the school related to the assigned crossing. Teach students about safety procedures at crossings. Work with the school and supervisor to resolve student issues.
• Participate in initial orientation and on-the-job training for new employees. Attend annual fall orientation and training seminar.
• Perform related work as required.

• Possess experience in guiding and supervising children, which may include roles in volunteer settings, non-professional environments such as coaching, tutoring, or teaching lessons, as well as paid positions or real-life parenting responsibilities.
• Depending on the number of applications, random selection may be used to determine who will proceed to the interview process.

The City of Madison strives to provide exceptional customer service to all its residents and visitors. Therefore, successful candidates will have demonstrated ability to work effectively with multicultural communities.

For the complete list of the knowledge, skills and abilities, please reference the classification specification.

Ability to meet the transportation requirements of the position.

Physical Requirements:

• Employees are expected to work at busy intersections to stop traffic during morning and/or afternoon school hours.
• Work involves being outside in all weather conditions every day school is in session.
• Employees are expected to control and stop traffic using traffic cones and a hand-held stop sign.
• Employees must have the physical ability to repeatedly walk across intersections with a stop sign raised above the head.
• Employees must have the physical ability to lift and place traffic cones weighing up to 7-10 pounds each and to lift and raise and hold the stop sign above the head (approximately 30 seconds – 2 minutes each crossing with numerous crossings per shift).
• Employees must be alert, and able to see and hear traffic in order to guide children safely across the street.