As new school year starts, drivers reminded to be aware of school buses
Christopher SciriaAECSD Public Information Specialist
NOTE: This story was first published two years ago; it has been updated with new information. It's always good to be reminded of school bus safety with classes resuming.
We all know how frustrating it can be to be behind a school bus making frequent stops, but as a new school year gets underway, it’s a good time to remind drivers to be aware to keep students and bus drivers safe.
The Auburn Enlarged City School District and its transportation provider, First Student, have plans that they enact every school year.
“We actually implement several plans. We send out a bus safety letter to parents so they're aware of the expectations on the bus,” said AECSD Director of Transportation CarolAnn DiFabio. “Students can't be standing, throwing objects. We reinforce positive behavior with posters and signs on the bus.”
To help with that, bus drivers and aides will receive training in the positive behavior program used in schools.
Another part of the plan calls for Auburn Police to follow buses to ensure drivers aren’t passing them when they’re picking up or dropping off students.
“We implement different programs,” DiFabio said, “so people in the community are aware that the buses are out and drivers need to be careful. Auburn Police will contact us, usually about two weeks prior, and they'll ask us if there's certain areas we have concerns with, people passing buses on the (flashing) reds (lights). They will follow the bus around, and they typically catch people running reds and issue tickets.”
A bigger issue is at the junior and high schools when parents, who have dropped off their own children, are trying to get around stopped buses with flashing red lights.
“It does happen,” DiFabio said. ”We do have parents who when the buses are unloading with their reds on, pass the buses, causing safety issues."
DiFabio stressed how important it is for the public to be patient and aware of school buses on their daily routes.
“They're making frequent stops,” she said. “I know it's frustrating to get stuck behind a bus, but understand that they're trying to do their jobs and get the kids to and from school as safely as humanly possible. Please be patient and understand that everything that's being done is for the safety of their children.”
It’s with safety in mind that DiFabio stresses drivers to be patient, especially at the beginning of the school year when bus drivers may be learning new routes.
“For the first few weeks of school, those could vary by five minutes, 10 minutes,” DiFabio said. “So please be patient as all the drivers and aides get used to the routes. We're doing our very, very best to make everything run on time.”
