Award recognizes
importance of safe school buses
Photos: Image of the metal/outdoor sign winners will receive is
attached. Photos of the following counties accepting their awards are
available; please email mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us
to request: Catoosa, Chattooga, Fulton, Jasper, Jenkins, Pickens
MEDIA
CONTACT: Meghan
Frick, GaDOE Communications Office, 404-463-4246, mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us
June
18, 2018 – Each
year, nearly one million students and their parents rely on Georgia’s school
buses to provide safe and dependable transportation to and from school.
To
emphasize the importance of safe school buses, State School Superintendent
Richard Woods today recognized the winners of the Georgia Department of
Education’s first Pupil Transportation Safety Awards. Eight county school
systems – Jenkins, Jasper, Chattooga, Washington, Pickens, Jackson, Catoosa,
and Fulton – were recognized for going above and beyond to ensure safe and
efficient student transportation. The award is sponsored by Blue Bird, Georgia’s
school bus manufacturer, and Yancey
Bus Sales & Service.
“Nothing
is more important than the safety of our children, and making sure they can
travel safely and arrive at school ready to learn,” Superintendent Woods said.
“Our drivers and transportation employees work harder than many ever realize,
and they’re an integral part of our educational system. From my experience as a
high school principal who was CDL-certified to drive a school bus, to my
vantage point as State School Superintendent seeing over and over the immense
importance of safe student transportation, I knew I wanted to create a
recognition for our districts going above and beyond to ensure their students’
safety. These eight school districts are doing tough, innovative work and
deserve to be commended.”
Winners
were selected based in eight divisions based on enrollment size. The winning
districts were selected by a panel of judges, based on an application which
evaluated a number of factors that impact bus safety. Those factors include but
are not limited to: completing safety training, evacuation drills, and other
safety initiatives with students; evaluation of accidents and internal
practices to prevent accidents; and innovative initiatives used to inspire safe
practices, hire and retrain drivers, and enhance student safety.
Jenkins
County Schools,
winner of Division 1 (districts with a full-time student enrollment between
zero and 1,300), transports approximately 88 percent of their student
population to and from school each day. Transportation staff conduct three
emergency evacuation drills each year with students, and all field
trip/extracurricular drivers give an explanation of evacuation procedures. The
district partnered with their local EMC to provide and improve signage at
school-bus stops in high density areas to alert the public. Talmadge Fries is
the Transportation Director.
Jasper
County Schools,
winner of Division 2 (districts with a full-time student enrollment between
1,301 and 2,400), provides approximately 30-36 additional hours of classroom
training for their drivers, and requires 12 hours of behind-the-wheel training
with students and 12 without. To improve morale, the transportation director
invites all school staff and students to spend a full week celebrating School
Bus Driver and Monitor Appreciation each year. The district has a mandatory
local School Bus Roadeo on spring Saturday each year. Jerry Williams is the
Transportation Director.
Chattooga
County Schools,
winner of Division 3 (districts with a full-time student enrollment between 2,401
and 2,900) prioritizes clear communication between students and staff about
evacuation procedures. The district utilizes student tracking software;
students scan a card as they enter and exit the bus, enabling staff to easily
identify whether a student is on the bus, missed the bus, or got off at the
wrong stop. Leaders make a point of discussing safety issues with drivers and
maintaining morale by listening carefully to driver concerns and providing
input. Mike Jarrett is the Transportation Director.
Washington
County Schools,
winner of Division 4 (districts with a full-time student enrollment between
2,901 and 3,700) transports more than 60 percent of their students. The
district partners with Sandersville Railroad to conduct Operation Lifesaver
Training with their drivers, and the Washington County Board of Education this
year approved an across-the-board pay raise for all drivers and monitors that
will begin in August. All transportation personnel can attend any school
function at no cost, and transportation is included in every district function.
Willie A. Coneway is the Transportation Director.
Pickens
County Schools,
winner of Division 5 (districts with a full-time student enrollment between
3,701 and 5,250) transports approximately 2,200 students to and from school
each day. The district conducts skills assessments each year, and drivers
receive online training – including training on EpiPens and Diastat pens
provided by the county nurse. Students are reminded at every stop to look,
listen, and watch the driver before moving toward or away from the bus, and the
district awards a weekly “bus rider of the week.” Cherri Howell is the
Transportation Director.
Jackson
County Schools,
winner of Division 6 (districts with a full-time student enrollment between
5,251 and 8,850) transports 4,500 students each day. The district provides
additional training to cover key issues that can lead to school bus accidents,
with a focus on loading and unloading procedures, tail swing, student
management, and local policies and procedures. An engaging, student-focused bus
safety program is conducted at the district’s elementary and middle schools
twice a year. The district pays a $500 referral bonus (after six months of
successful employment) to transportation employees who recruit new drivers, and
incentivizes drivers’ perfect attendance with $50 per month. The Transportation
Director is David Farmer.
Catoosa
County,
winner of Division 7 (districts with a full-time student enrollment between
8,851 and 17,000) requires a minimum of 16 hours of classroom training hours,
and an average of 20, for new drivers. Additional driver training is offered on
topics such as laws, policies, and procedures; inspections; loading and
unloading; emergencies; evacuations; accident reporting and procedures; and
special needs transportation. An Accident Review Committee meets and reviews
any accidents that occur, minor or major, and makes a determination on
additional training needed, etc. The Transportation Director is Jerene Jones.
Fulton
County,
winner of Division 8 (districts with a full-time student enrollment between
17,001 and 178,200) has 800 school buses traveling more than 7.5 million miles
annually. The district meets all federal and state mandated training, but adds
additional and advanced training that begins the day an applicant comes to
orientation. The transportation department is an active participant in the
district’s strategic goal to increase the percentage of students reading at or
above grade level by third grade, and is adding magnetized “sight word” signs
on the interior ceiling of the buses that serve four pilot schools. The Executive
Director is Sam Ham and the Transportation Director is Vickie Cross.
