Bus Safety

ON THE BUS

ADOBE STOCK

Getting to know the driver can be as important as knowing your home information

MARJIE DUCEY

World-Herald Sta Writer

Retired teacher Liz Smith used to spend a lot of time making sure kids got on the right bus after school.

So her advice for parents getting their kids ready for school and the bus this fall?

“On that rst day, introduce your child to the bus driver,” she said. “Knowing and feeling comfortable with that person is important.”

Before even heading to school, make sure your student knows their address and any phone numbers they might need in case of emergency. She also suggests keeping a copy of that information in their backpack.

Help your child nd a buddy in the neighborhood or at their stop to sit with each day, she said, then they’ll have someone else who knows when to get off at the right place.

“Send a note, gift card or treat once in a while for the driver,” Smith said. “They love to know they are appreciated.”

Here’s a few tips shared by Omaha Public Schools Student Transportation Services.  The primary goal of district Student

Transportation Services is to provide safe, reliable transportation for our students. We work closely with our families to accomplish this.  Before the start of each new school year, our district communicates directly with families of bus riders to share information about pickup and drop-off locations.

We encourage our families to review transportation guidelines and discuss safety procedures with their child(ren).  When students are transported, they are reminded to remain seated, keep their feet and legs out of the aisles and follow behavior expectations outlined in our

Student Code of Conduct for their safety and the safety of others.  Families are encouraged to teach children key contact information or make it available in a student’s backpack in case of an emergency.  Families are encouraged to practice walking the safest route to and from their stop before the rst day of school. Drivers are also required to perform a dry run when assigned new routes. This allows the driver to review each stop location and the students assigned to the stop in advance. 11