Schools, Law Enforcement Promote Bus Safety

The Glenwood Community School District and local law enforcement agencies are teaming up at the start of the new school year to provide school bus safety instruction and emergency evacuation drills to students across the district.

Last week, students at Northeast and West Elementary Schools took part in the exercise. Instruction will be provided later this month at the middle school and high school.

“We’re trying to provide as many kids as possible district-wide with instruction on bus safety,” GCSD Director of Operations Frank Bachman said. “We’re just trying to take a proactive approach with safety all around.”

On Friday, individual classes at West took turns boarding buses parked on the school playground. The safety exercise took about 15 minutes with students getting a lecture from drivers about bus behavior and instruction from law enforcement officers on evacuating a bus in an emergency situation.

Dave Young, a veteran driver for the school district, said getting students to remain in their seats while being transported is one of the most common issues drivers deal with on a regular basis.
About 900 district students ride a bus to and from school on a daily basis. Students also ride buses on class field trips and when going out of town for school-related activities.