TUSTIN Pioneer Middle School crossing guard Francine Spatafora Petress is shorter than most of the children she chaperones. Regardless, she possesses the vim and the voice to keep the wiseacres in line.

On a recent afternoon, a dozen boys attempted to span busy Tustin Ranch Road at an unsupervised corner.

“Nope, nope! You do not cross there!” Petress roared from the other side.

They briefly put up an argument — grownups do it — then demurred and followed the rules.

“I may be only 5’1″, but I have a commanding presence,” the petite 72-year-old said. “I’m Italian, dear.”

Whatever her secret, kids clearly care about and respect Petress.

“She always talks to us and brings us doughnuts,” said Allyza Lugassy, 13. “And she is really determined to keep us safe.”

So when Petress showed up to work with a badly bruised face last fall, students were both alarmed and — after learning what happened — eager to help her out.

The day before, she had weathered a frightening crash on Tustin Avenue when a driver T-boned her car while attempting an illegal u-turn.

A police officer told her the deployed airbag saved her life — but it also smacked her hard in the face.

“I looked like a monster,” Petress recalled.

Her neck and a hip were injured, as well.

But, yes, she managed to show up the next morning even after a visit by ambulance to the emergency room.

“I’m a very conscientious person, and I love my kids,” she explained.

More than aches and pains, her main concern was her faithful 1997 Camry — totaled in the crash. The $2,700 reimbursed by her insurance company three months later wouldn’t begin to cover a dependable used car.

“I need a car to get to my job,” said Petress, who lives in Tustin four miles from the school. Fortunately, she has been able to borrow a friend’s car in the interim, but that arrangement comes to an end next week.

When a clique of seventh-grade girls heard about her dilemma, they galvanized into action. Initially, they considered founding a school club so they could raise money on campus, but determined that process would take too long.

“This was an emergency,” Josie Wang said. “She needed the money as soon as possible, so we decided to do it on our own.”

First, the girls baked scores of brownies and chocolate chip cookies at each other’s houses. After school and on weekends, they went knocking on neighborhood doors. Those who contributed received a few goodies as a thank you.

In the process, the philanthropists discovered that fundraising has its hurdles.

“One person said she’d already bought a bunch of Girl Scout cookies,” Sneha Vankayalapati said. “We were like, ‘But, we’re not Girl Scouts!'”

Still, many more were charmed by the girls’ effort and gave $5 or $20.

After raising around $800 on foot, the Good Samaritans created a GoFundMe page.

Last month, as Petress was finishing up the afternoon leg of her job, the girls presented her an envelope with $1,814 worth of checks and cash inside.

“I just started to cry,” said Petress, a retired grocery store cashier who found her calling as a crossing guard four years ago. “I’m so grateful for the generosity.”

Now Petress said she has enough money to buy a decent pre-owned car.

“She can continue doing the job she loves,” Alyzza said. “Normally, she is all about us. It’s amazing we could do something for her.”