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On a mild Monday morning on Muirkirk Road in Laurel, the sun shines just over the horizon. But rather than offering an idyllic sunrise, it practically blinds drivers heading east.

And with Montpelier Elementary School in the middle of the straightaway, the need for a crossing guard is great but it's been three weeks since the regular morning crossing guard at Montpelier Elementary left and no replacement is in sight.

"[A crossing guard is] important because it helps make it safer for us," sixth-grader Tyshai Price said.

Fourth-grader Andrew Young said the students wouldn't know how to cross the street without a crossing guard.

"We'd get run over," second grader Mikui Pecqu quickly added.

It is actually the Prince George's County police that handle the hiring and placement of crossing guards, not the school system. Each crossing often has two people assigned to it, one for arrival and the other for dismissal.

At Montpelier, the morning shift is from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m. and the afternoon is from 1:55 to 2:15 p.m. The average pay for a crossing guard is $15 an hour, with the beginning rate at $10.34 hour.

The only crossing guard for the school stops traffic directly in front of the school, on the corner of Muirkirk Road and Tuscany Drive.

Cathy Boteler, northern area crossing guard supervisor for the county police, said the Montpelier Elementary crossing is an open assignment and normally Cpl. Michael Rubin, from the Police Community Services Division covers the intersection and when Rubin is unavailable, she steps in.

Boteler said if she cannot cover the shift, then an officer from District VI – which Laurel is in – covers it. She said 7:15 a.m. and 1:55 a.m. are often the hardest to find cover for because so many schools open and close around those times.

Boteler does the task when necessary, but will be filling in for three days this week because Rubin is unavailable. She said Rubin had only missed one day up until Nov.17.

Montpelier officials did not return calls for comment.

Until then, the need for a crossing guard still exists.

"You have cars traveling too fast, they haven't cleared their windshield and they're not able to see," Boteler said.

In January 2005, crossing guard Lois Farias was struck by a vehicle at 7:30 a.m. at the same crossing location.

Boteler said anyone interested in applying, can call the crossing guard office at 301-731-4510.

E-mail Timmy Gelles at tgelles@gazette.net.