School has officially started and that means school buses are officially back on the roads. School bus safety is important not just for students but drivers.
“One thing that we really try to watch out for is just distracted drivers is our biggest worry of people who just are not paying attention,” Tim Drenth, Transportation Supervisor said.
School buses have seen major strides in the past couple decades to make transportation for kids safe, and the Charlevoix-Emmet ISD takes pride in the evolution of that safety. There are six cameras on every bus that is constantly recording while they are on the road. The biggest change are the new LED lights on the outside of the bus.
“When I first started, the stop signs were not on the outside of the bus,” Drenth said. “That was a new feature to have. And then, we went to LED lights on the outside and other busses have crossing guards that come off the front bumper that when you stop, they swing out. We have lights that come on the front bumper to help illuminate when students are walking across the front of the bus.”.
And especially for students with disabilities the connection between bus driver and the passengers is just as important as safety.
“Our students just really need the consistency,” Drenth said. “We set times of what time we’re going to be there. We try to be very accurate with that time, but it’s just to be consistent in what time we’re going to get there, to pick them up, to keep them on a schedule and keep them on a routine for that so that they can just stay that way.”
That interaction goes a long way with bus drivers acting as a catalyst for the students’ moods at the start and end of each day.
“My philosophy has always been the bus driver is the first person you see in the morning and then the last person you see every day,” Drenth said. “We are representing the school district. We see where these students come from, the home life that they have and then we’re the last ones that need to say good night. Have a good weekend. We’ll see you right away. So, it’s just bus drivers are just a huge part of their day.”
And it takes a lot of heart to recognize the gifted youth that they interact with on a daily basis.
“They all have special gifts,” Drenth said. “And that’s the neatest part is once you find out what the gift is and what they can do, it’s truly heart wrenching just to see that. So, it’s cool.”