One way to tell that school has started up again is the addition of yellow buses on local roads and highways.
On Aug. 25, Student Transportation of America (STA), the organization that manages school buses in the Santa Maria area, announced that its more than 6,000 employees are trained and ready to go back to school with students throughout the Central Coast and Southern California.
“While area families were enjoying summer activities, STA employees were busy purchasing additional new school buses, conducting vehicle inspections of the entire fleet, recertifying current drivers, and hiring and training new drivers,” a press release from STA said.
Also, the release said that, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, riding a bus is the safest way for children to get to and from school.
“Ensuring the safety of students is a tremendous responsibility and our number one priority,” Ray Delegarde, vice president for STA’s West Coast operations, said in the release. “How many parents perform a safety check of the family mini-van before loading the children in for school each day?”
As a way to kick off the new school year, STA also offered some school bus safety tips to students and parents:
• Supervise children to make sure they get to the stop on time. Wait far away from the road and avoid rough play.
• Teach your child to ask the driver for help if he or she drops something near the bus, and to never bend down next to the bus or go under the bus to pick up something. Have your child use a backpack or book bag to keep loose items together and secure.
• Make sure clothing and backpacks have no loose drawstrings or long straps that may get caught in the handrail or bus door.
• If you think a bus stop is in a dangerous place, talk with your school office or transportation director about changing the location.
For more information about Student Transportation of America and its services, www.visitsta-ips.com.
School Scene is compiled by Staff Writer Amy Asman. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Sep 4-11, 2008.