Marshall County Schools Recognizes Bus Drivers, Mechanics for Their Efforts

Emma Delk

Marshall County Schools is celebrating the drivers and mechanics who keep the county's school buses rolling this February during National Association for Pupil Transportation Love the Bus Month.

Superintendent Shelby Haines was joined by the Marshall County Schools Transportation Safety Team at the school district's transportation headquarters on Tuesday to sign a proclamation declaring the celebration in the county.

Haines said Love the Bus Month commemorates the Transportation Department, including bus drivers, safety team members and mechanics. She noted they "work very well to keep our kids safe and in school."

"People may not realize that our bus drivers are award-winning in the state (School Bus Safety) ROAD-E-O," Haines said. "Our mechanics are also top in the state for their level of defects, which means they have a low defect rating. When the inspector comes and looks at their work, they have a very low number of defects, so we're proud of their work."

Apart from ensuring county buses run safely, Haines noted another important role of Transportation Department staff was ensuring students feel safe on their ride to school. She noted the first person a student sees in the morning is often their bus driver, meaning their interaction with the driver could "make or break" the rest of the student's day.

"When the student is met with a smile and a warm welcome, that could really set their day in the right direction," Haines said. "The bus drivers have even reported to us when they think students are in need of coats and clothing, and they work with us to help supply those for students who might be in need."

The safety team, which is made up of county bus drivers, also visits every school in the county to teach bus safety to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Haines said these lessons are particularly important for students who do not normally ride the bus and need to know bus safety protocols for field trips or in case of an emergency.

Safety team member Kenny Richmond said they teach students how to enter and exit the bus properly, where the fire exits are on the bus and all other safety procedures for the bus. He joked that the "star" of the bus safety team was "Buster the Bus," a remote-controlled bus that can talk to students about bus safety.

"Basically, we just go over all the rules and regulations so when a student gets on the bus, they can think, 'There's nothing to this,'" Richmond said. "We can get new first-time bus riders often, so it's important for them to feel comfortable getting on the bus."

Safety team members also teach students how to properly walk around a bus, including the "safety zones" and "danger zones" around the exterior of the vehicle.

In addition to making sure students are safe and comfortable on the buses, safety team member Douglas Brown said another important aspect of their work was being a positive figure in students' lives.

"It's fun watching the students grow up and see them graduate," Brown said. "I run into several kids who are working at Walmart or other places, and they will come up to talk to me and give me a hug. I enjoy the time I have with the students."