Contact: Sunny Mindel/Curt Ritter (212) 788-2958
"I am happy to announce that the City will hire an additional 150 School Crossing Guards who will make our City streets even safer for our children," said Mayor Giuliani. "The new Crossing Guards will join the current 1,828 School Crossing Guards bringing the total to 1,978 effective this Fall for the start of the school year. Just yesterday morning we saw the need and impact of School Crossing Guards when Joan Gasparro, a Crossing Guard at PS 150 in Queens, risked her life to save a child who was almost struck by a car. Joan's actions are not uncommon for these unsung heroes. Each morning when a parent watches their child leave for school they expect them to arrive there safely, and it's the Crossing Guards who make sure this happens. I want to thank Joan for her efforts and thank the other Crossing Guards, who watch over our children on their way to and from school each day."
Individuals interested in becoming School Crossing Guards should contact their local Police Precinct. Candidates train for six days at the Police Academy and undergo a medical exam and background investigation. Crossing Guards work an average of 4½ hours each day at the start and end of the school day. Salaries start at $7.65 an hour and increase to $9.31 after three years of service. Crossing Guards who work more than 20 hours a week receive health benefits.
Joan Gasparro, a 63-year-old grandmother, was struck by a car Thursday morning outside PS 150 on 43rd Avenue in Sunnyside, Queens, as she pushed a third-grader out of the way of an oncoming car that failed to stop. Ms. Gasparro, a seven-year Crossing Guard veteran, was released from Elmhurst Hospital yesterday afternoon.