Hancock County students may spend as much as two-hours-per-day on their school bus. The school bus driver may spend more time with a student than a teacher on any given day meaning that school bus experience has an wide-ranging impact.
Ted Arneault, Transportation coordinator for the Hancock County school system, said the Transportation department has implemented a new program designed to recognize good behavior on the school bus. Students are also nominated for practicing safety habits with evacuation drills and situational awareness when exiting and entering the bus. The end result: safer school bus rides and safer behavior exhibited by the students.
Arneault said the bus drivers nominate the students for recognition. Many times, students will have a school bus driver for all 12 years of schools. Many times the bus drivers develop a bond with the student that allows them to spot problems in school and at home that may go unnoticed in other school settings.
Currently Hancock County has 42 school bus drivers and eight bus aides in special education buses in addition to substitute bus drivers who fill in if a driver is absent. School bus drivers are not only CDL certified but must be certified in passenger safety. He said 50 to 60 percent of students ride the bus each day with an additional 10 percent being sporadic riders.
The School Board is currently seeking bus drivers. The split morning and afternoon schedule is often ideal for retirees or other job situations.
He stressed that administrators, teachers, support staff and bus drivers all work together on the program with a common goal of keeping the school systems most precious resource – its kids – safe.
