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| School
Bus 101 |
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| As
your Transportation Director, I thought it would be appropriate to
share facts with you to assure you that your children are safe, and
we are doing everything possible to deliver them safely each and everyday.
Today’s lesson will be called School Bus 101. Our
school district transports 2,700 students on 25
regular bus routes every school day. With the school year
consisting of approximately 180 days this translates into nearly ½
million bus rides per school year. The students on these routes travel
over 230,000 miles each school year to and from school.
This figure doesn’t include the additional 50,000 miles
we travel for extra curricular activities. Of the 26 regular
drivers this district employees, 8 have over 20 years experience
and the average driver seniority is 14 years. Regardless
of what the print media feels, we have an impeccable safety
record. Please don’t believe everything your read.
Newspapers like to sensationalize information to draw their readers
to the story. |
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Our bus drivers and aides care about the students. They go out of
their way to deliver them safely daily. On a daily basis, drivers
travel around town with students who have no one to meet them at their
bus stop. We have taken students to various locations to assure their
safety. Drivers and aides have been known to pass out treates, purchase
coats, hats and gloves. I have seen drivers attend school programs,
invite students to lunch and even attend medical appointments when
family wasn’t available. I have personally been in my office
with students until 5:30 or later waiting for a responsible party
to arrive. We simply would never place a child in harms way if were
made aware of a problem. |
Please
teach your child to treat their school bus as an extension
of the classroom. Their school day starts when they board
the bus in the morning and ends when they get off in the afternoon.
Imagine your child’s classroom being three times as large
(65 students) and the teacher turning her back to the students.
Throw in the fact they have to concentrate on driving a 40-foot,
7-ton vehicle and you’re living the life of your child’s
school bus driver. The responsibility these people have is unbelievable.
Don’t feel sorry for them. They all love their jobs. All they
want is to be treated with respect and for you to reinforce the
bus rules with them. The bus rules are put in place by the state
and are designed to keep you child safe. Statistics have proven
that the school bus is eight times safer than a conventional automobile
and by far the safest mode of travel period. To continue with this
safety trend your child needs to follow the rules and the drivers
need to concentrate on the road. This can only happen with you help.
I personally am asking you for your assistance with this matter.
After all, we are transporting the world’s most precious cargo,
you child. |
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~Mr.
Ted Peters
Transportation Supervisor |
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