MADISON, Wis. — If you’re looking for a fun kid-friendly commitment, one Madison post may make a perfect fit.
As Jan Peterson popped her trunk and put on her bright safety vest, she said serving as a crossing guard was always something she wanted to do.
“It’s off the bucket list,” the retiree said about her career that began three years ago. “I love kids, and to come out here in the morning and greet them is just awesome. Then in the afternoon, finding out how their day went is more awesome.”
The Leopold Elementary School crossing guard said she gets a lot of chuckles from the little ones.
“I’m glad they had space for me,” she said.
The City of Madison has space for 15 to 20 more part-time crossing guards.
“When they get done at 8:30 or 9, you can go to your appointments, go shopping, do what you want, and then you’re ready to come back at 2:30,” she said.
And the position comes with plenty of perks, including great pay.
“There’s definitely an emphasis to walk the walk so we need to pay people for their labor,” East Side
Crossing Guard Supervisor Niko Magallón said.
Starting pay is nearly $19 an hour.
“And that pay actually increases each year of service up through four years,” he said.
Benefits also include a clothing allowance, earned sick time and on-the-job training.
“It’s actually really important and slightly dangerous safety work that we’re doing as well. So you have to be very careful when you’re going to stop the traffic,” he said.
Peterson agreed and said she was grateful for specialized training.
“You get that training. It’s not months’ worth of training. It’s a couple of days and you’re set to go,” she said.
You can learn more about crossing guard openings, here.