A change in rules regarding pay means good news for crossing guard staffing shortage

Chief Operating Officer Daniel Donovan. BOE Finance and Operations Committee meeting. Screenshot

NASHUA, NH – “For the first time in a long time we have a little good news on the crossing guard update,” Chief Operating Officer Daniel Donovan said at the Board of Education’s Finance and Operations Committee meeting on Tuesday night.

At the beginning of the school year, Assistant Director of Safety and Security Christopher Lessard indicated that there were 19 vacancies, meaning that 58 percent of posts were without coverage. Now there are only 10 vacancies, which equates to 30 percent.

Above: 10 Crossing Guard Vacancies in need of filling.

Previously, crossing guards were paid between $17 and $18 per hour. Shifts are often less than an hour. Now, crossing guards are paid at the same rate with a one-hour pay minimum, even if they do not work the full hour.

Lessard credits the one-hour pay minimum for the increase of staff.

In other news, the committee was asked to approve the purchase/lease of 16 printers/copiers for 16 school cafeterias in an amount not to exceed $18,840 to come from the Food Service Fund.

“The Food Service Fund has a significant sum of money in it because of the year where there was free food right after the Covid year,” Donovan said. “[The] balance in that fund built up to the point that the state requires that we work on spending that down.”

Lamphier asked if money in the Food Service Fund could be used to cover unpaid lunches. Donovan said this is not allowed under federal law.

He said the fund is also used to buy kitchen equipment such as ovens, stoves and repairs.

Donovan also gave the committee a credit card spending update, an initial-year end forecast and transfer and financial reports that can be found on the meeting agenda.