By Melissa Ostermeyer, KSDE school transportation safety unit 

School bus drivers often begin their day before sunrise to ensure every route runs smoothly, often not making it back home until after the sun sets. The vehicles they drive are among the safest on the road, thanks to rigorous maintenance and training. 

To honor National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 20-24, the following are examples of why being a school transportation professional is a valuable privilege, and what parents and the public should know about these special people who play a crucial role in the safety and education of our Kansas students.  

• Drivers memorize dozens of student names, addresses, and safety needs. 
• Transportation teams often work in extreme weather to ensure students get to school safely. They also coordinate complex logistics daily, adjusting not only for weather but for road closures and absences. 
• Mechanics come to work early in the mornings and stay late at night to keep buses safe and road ready. 
• Bus routes are planned months in advance and are constantly updated to reflect changing student needs and populations. 
• Transportation departments handle field trips, sports travel, and special education routes — not just daily pickups. 
• A single late bus can ripple through the entire school schedule. Timing is everything. 
• Transportation staff often go unnoticed unless something goes wrong — yet they keep the system running daily. 
• School bus drivers/transportation departments throughout the state are known for pooling their money to buy hats, coats, gloves, clothing or putting money on a student’s lunch account when a family is struggling. 
• School transportation personnel are keepers of Kleenex to dry tears, dispel fears, and are the finder’s of lost notebooks and lunches. 

Many drivers form lasting bonds with students, watching them grow year after year. Be sure to thank a school transportation professional this week and every week for their contribution to our children’s education.  

Click here for more information from the KSDE school transportation safety unit. Click here to access more school bus safety information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA).