Bus Safety, A District Priority

With the school year about to start, and with so many students riding school buses, this is a good time to focus on bus safety.

"When it comes to bus safety we believe that safety is not a slogan but a way of life," said McDonald County School District's Transportation Director Clyde Davidson. "Our drivers' ultimate goal is to deliver our students from home to school and back in as safe a manner as possible. Our drivers receive annual training to prepare them to do the job that they are asked to do. We have found that cooperative parents and students enable the drivers to achieve their goals more effectively. According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, it is statistically 70 times safer to ride a school bus than a regular passenger vehicle. Student safety is the highest priority in the transportation department."

Following are the district's safety rules.

• Bus riders shall be at the designated loading point before the bus arrival time.

• Bus riders shall wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before attempting to enter.

• Riders must not extend arms or heads out of the windows at any time.

• Aisles must be kept cleared at all times.

• All bus riders shall load and unload through the right front door. The emergency door is for emergencies only.

• A bus rider will depart from the bus at the designated point unless written permission to get off at a different location is given to the driver.

• A rider may be assigned a seat by the driver.

• Riders who damage seats or other equipment will reimburse the district for the cost of the repair or replacement.

• Riders are not permitted to leave their seats while the vehicle is in motion.

• Permission to open windows must be obtained from the driver.

• Classroom conduct is to be observed by students while riding the bus except for ordinary conversation.

• The driver is in charge of the students and the vehicle, and the driver is to be obeyed promptly and courteously.

• A bus rider who must cross the roadway to board or depart from the bus shall pass in front of the bus (no closer than 10 feet), look in both directions, and proceed to cross the road or highway only on signal from the driver.

• Students shall not throw objects about the vehicle nor out the windows.

• Students shall keep feet off the seats.

The student discipline code will apply to students using school transportation services. This includes conduct occurring at or in the close vicinity of a bus stop while students are waiting for the bus, or immediately after the students have disembarked.