With only a couple of weeks before the new school year begins, one of the nation’s largest school crossing guard providers anticipates Johnson County schools districts will be facing yet another shortage of people able to assist children walking to and from school.
The vacancies: All City Management Services, who contracts with local Johnson County districts to provide crossing guard services, sounded the alarm early last week on its number of remaining open positions.
- Nearly 40 crossing guards in total are needed at several schools across the county, said ACMS national recruiting manager Hilary Calvert.
- This includes schools in Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe, Shawnee, Leawood, Prairie Village, Mission, Gardner and Spring Hill.
How to apply: To bring in applicants, the company is hosting some hiring events during the first week of August in the lead up to the new school year. Those began on Monday, and there will be additional events on:
- Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 9 to 11 a.m. at ACMS Office at 8928 Nieman Road.
- Thursday, Aug. 4, from 12 to 2 p.m. in a meeting room in Johnson County Library – Blue Valley at 9000 W. 151st Street.
Candidates can also apply on the ACMS’s website or call 913-203-8350 for more information.
More details: Calvert said crossing guards typically work close to where they live, with shifts varying from 30 minutes to an hour.
- Pay ranges between $13 to $15 per shift depending, she said.
- Applicants must be 18 years old, pass an agility and balance assessment and pass a background check to be approved for the position.
Bigger picture: Staff and worker shortages have been plaguing Johnson County schools — and schools across the country — for a few years now amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- At the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, all four public school districts serving northern Johnson County reported to be understaffed as several classified positions remained unfilled.
- Calvert said the COVID-19 pandemic and lifestyle changes in part caused the crossing guard shortage.
Key quote: “Every morning and afternoon children at about 170 schools in the Johnson County metro head to and from school,” Calvert said. “Hundreds of crossing guards are needed to serve at intersections throughout Johnson County.”