Tuesday, September first will be the first day of school for tens of thousands of children in the Milwaukee area.

School officials are working hard to make sure those kids make it to school and back home safely.

About 200 crossing guards work for Milwaukee's safety division. A day ahead of the first day of school, many of the crossing guards were out at the intersections they're assigned to be in.

\"They are getting familiar with the intersections they will be working in... it also lets drivers know school starts tomorrow and take it slowly when coming to that particular intersection,\" said Lishunda Patterson, a Safety Specialist with Milwaukee's Safety Division.

Milwaukee police will also have additional presence in school zones this week to enforce the law and catch speedy drivers.

A similar situation in Wauwatosa, where in addition to crossing guards, the city unveiled flashing beacon crosswalk signs in three different schools zones. The new beacons feature amber lights that flash in a rapid sequence on both sides of the road, as soon as anyone presses a button.

While many hope these signs and crossing guards will ensure children are safe, it's always good to give annual reminders to drivers to slow down.

\"I see a lot of distracted drivers... mostly on their cell phone or texting. They need to slow down.\" said Charles Fells, who has been a crossing guard in Milwaukee for two-years.