The Orange County Sheriff's Office is looking to hire 50 school crossing guards.

  • Orange County wants to fill 50 school crossing guard positions
  • County trains new school crossing guards each week
  • Pay will go up to $12.50 an hour Aug. 14, when school starts

The agency on Wednesday held a training session for more than a dozen new guards.

"It makes me a little nervous that we might not have enough people hired by the time school starts, and the kids may go walking by themselves," county school crossing guard coordinator Bertis Negron said. "The good thing is that we always call our deputies to come out and cover vacant posts."

The Sheriff's Office is currently seeking applicants for the following schools:

  • Bay Lake Elementary
  • Dr. Phillips Elementary
  • Keene's Crossing Elementary
  • Lockhart Elementary
  • Riverside Park Elementary
  • Southwest Middle
  • Southwood Elementary
  • Sunset Park Elementary
  • Tangelo Park Elementary

Negron, who's been with the Sheriff's Office for 30 years, suggested that stay-at-home moms, retirees and college students would be a good fit to be a crossing guard. "It's a community job. It's only 2 hours a day -- one hour in the morning and one in the afternoon," she said.

The job pays $11.40 an hour, but starting school Aug. 14, it's going up to $12.50 an hour, she said.

"There are a lot of distracted drivers out there. We as pedestrians have an obligation to be safe when we cross, too," Negron said. "But a lot of drivers are distracted. They're speeding in school zones. They need to be aware that between the hours of 7 and 10 (a.m.) and 2 and 4 (p.m.), there are kids crossing between elementary, middle and high school."

The six-hour crossing guard training includes classroom instruction, plus outdoor practice with real kids. Then, applicants take a written 25-multiple choice exam.

"You're the extra eyes and ears of the community," Negron said. "You'll be seeing things and reporting thing to us that you didn't really think was happening in your community. You'll be more aware. That's No. 1. No. 2 is, you're keeping kids safe," she said.

For more information and to apply, visit the Sheriff's Office website.