ORLANDO, Fla. — Friday is School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day, but in Orange County there's actually a shortage of crossing guards.
Crossing guards we spoke with say the job is more important than people may realize.
“This street gets bad," said crossing guard Anne Craft. "We have a lot of speeders going through here."
Here are 5 things to know about the crossing guard shortage in Orange County:
- 27 guards are needed immediately (currently there are 459 working in the county).
- When there is a vacancy, a deputy has to fill in, taking one more law enforcement officer off the street.
- Crossing guards work two hours a day, $13 an hour.
- They try to place crossing guards at schools near their homes.
- To apply, go to the Orange County Sheriff's Office website, or the Orlando Police Dept. website.