Katy ISD Celebrates 43rd Annual School Bus Safety Week

(October 23, 2009) – As part of National School Bus Safety Week, Katy ISD honored its bus drivers by providing information to schools, parents and students regarding bus safety and the role of school buses in the community. This year’s theme, Avoid Harm, Obey the Stop Arm, emphasizes the importance for drivers to follow the rules of the road and to stop when the red lights flash, the stop sign deploys, and children are getting on and off the bus.

Celebrated the third full week of October each year, School Bus Safety Week promotes awareness on the local and state level through community awareness toolkits, and other activities to raise awareness of school bus safety issues. Additionally, Katy ISD’s bus safety program, Katy the Bus, works year round to inform kindergarten through third grade students how to conduct themselves safely on and around the bus. 

As the safest mode of transportation to and from school, according to the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Transportation, parents trust school buses to transport more than 26 million school children in 480,000 school buses each day. In Katy ISD, approximately 56,000 students ride the school bus each day.  “Our job is to ensure that students get to school safe and sound on each and every ride, which is why we think it is so important to celebrate school bus safety,” stated Alan Tomlinson, assistant director of west transportation.

Although, school buses have retained their basic shape for years, dozens of improvements have been implemented to provide a safer ride for students.  One of the key safety feature of the bus, however, isn’t mechanical, rather it's the driver behind the wheel.

School bus drivers are the most scrutinized drivers on the road.  After attaining a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), bus drivers must pass written and skills tests to obtain a School Bus Endorsement.  Once they receive their license, drivers receive specialized classroom and behind-the-wheel training, student loading/unloading procedures, student evacuation, student behavior and security management.  Katy ISD also requires bus drivers to participate in pre-employment, random and post-accident drug and alcohol testing, driving record checks, and yearly medical exams to ensure they are physically qualified. 

Working together as a team, transportation departments, schools, parents and students can ensure that the bus ride to school is safe for all students. The following safety tips for students and parents are recommended by the American School Bus Council:

Tips for Students

  • Be alert to traffic.  Check both ways for cars before stepping off the bus.
  • Make eye contact with the bus driver and wait for his/her signal before crossing the street.
  • Walk in front of the bus; never walk behind the bus to cross the street.
  • While waiting for the bus, stay in a safe place away from the street.
  • Before leaving the sidewalk, look for the flashing red lights.
  • Never go near or under the bus to retrieve a dropped item.

Tips for Parents

  • Review the safety tips with your child regularly.
  • Get to know the parents of other riders to learn about the other children who are riding on the bus.
  • Team up with other parents to get involved and monitor bus stops and bus routes.  Voice concerns immediately to Transportation.
  • Attend “back to school” nights and tour a school bus if one is available.
  • Get to know the bus driver.  He or she is a trained professional who sees your child every day.
  • Keep phone numbers handy in case the bus is delayed or in the event of an emergency.

 For more information on school bus safety, visit www.americanschoolbuscouncil.org.

Bus Safety Resources