On the Road Again:
Pulaski County Bus Drivers Travel 7,000 Miles a Day!
Pulaski County Bus Drivers Travel 7,000 Miles a Day!
The Pulaski County School System provides free transportation for all students and with Pulaski County being the 3rd largest county in the state with 675 square miles of area, transportation is an important part of the total school program. The Pulaski County School System fleet of 120 buses travels over 7,000 miles per day!
This past year, the transportation department completed a renovation project to help serve families and drivers more effectively. There is a new entrance and parking especially for visitors to the transportation office. There is a much improved office complex including a drive up window for exchange of bus driver paperwork, more office space, and a training resource office.
Safety programs are required in elementary schools that include hands-on safety demonstrations and all transported students participate in evacuation drills. New this year will be an intensive bus safety-training program targeted at primary children thanks to a grant allowing us to receive a “Buster Bus”. Buster is a robotic interactive mini bus designed to interest and teach children important bus safety information. In addition, the district recognizes Bus Safety Week as an opportunity to further increase safety awareness for students, parents, and staff and participates in the Gold Star Bus Program through the Character Education Program.
Under the direction of director Wayne Bennett, Pulaski County’s transportation department includes 150 regular and substitute drivers, 4 staff members, and 5 bus maintenance personnel. There are approximately 100 regular school routes plus additional routes for special education, preschool, vocational transportation, alternative school programs, and extended school services. In addition, there were over 1,300 field trips taken last school year. With all these transportation needs, many buses are on the road almost all day when school is in session.
All buses are diesel operated and all are equipped with two-way radios for coordination and rapid response to emergencies. The fleet is constantly upgraded by purchasing about 10 new buses per year for replacements. Bus safety is also insured by service schedules that include daily pre-trip inspections and a thorough servicing once a month by a certified safety inspector. The district maintains a full service garage with highly trained certified technicians.
The Pulaski County School System has an ongoing education-training program for all bus drivers. All driver candidates must complete 44 hours of training which includes two sets of written tests on topics such as student management, emergency procedures, special needs transportation, as well as pass two driving tests in order to qualify for a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and state certification. All drivers are required to complete eight hours of training per year to keep their certification. All perspective drivers are screened for drugs prior to training and a program of random drug and alcohol screenings is used to help insure the safety of the students.
School bus safety is a team effort; help us keep your child safe by talking to your child about bus safety rules. For more information, buses schedules, or for information on school boundary zones, contact the Pulaski County School System transportation department at 679-1502.