Lafayette Parish School Board is proud to announce that this week is Love the Bus Safety and Appreciation Week. In an effort to promote bus safety and appreciation, the community is encouraged to be involved in keeping students safe! 

Of course, we want the children of Acadiana to safely get to and from school each and every day. Acadiana bus drivers do a great job in providing a safe, helpful service. Anyone can help with promoting the safety of pupil transportation.

Students can help themselves remain safe while riding on the school buses by:

  1. Cooperating with the bus driver.
  2. Being on time.
  3. Cross the road cautiously under the direction of the driver when boarding and leaving the bus.
  4.  Follow the driver's instructions when loading and unloading
  5. Remain quiet enough not to distract the driver.
  6. Have written permission and be authorized by the principal to get on or off at a stop other than the designated stop.
  7.  Remain seated at all times when the bus is in motion.
  8. Keep arms, head or other objects inside the bus at all times.
  9. Refrain from throwing objects in the bus or out of the windows or doors.  Use emergency exits only for emergencies, and when instructed to do so.

Parents can keep their children safe on a bus by keeping up with these simple responsibilities:

  1.  Be familiar with and follow local board and school level policies for school bus transportation.
  2.  Have children ready and at their designated pick-up points along the route
  3. Cooperate with the school and bus driver in teaching children safety precautions and good manners and habits for school bus passengers.
  4. Assist when there are disciplinary problems.
  5. Avoid detaining the driver on the route.
  6. Avoid contacting drivers to change schedules, routes assignments, bus stops, etc. (If a problem arises, contact the principal or the Transportation Dept.)
  7. Assist the school district in monitoring safe access to passengers by keeping bus loading and unloading zones free of parked vehicles, trash or debris, by keeping vegetation trimmed, etc.

Drivers on the road can keep passengers and drivers of a bus safe by following these simple laws:

  1. Drivers must stop at least 30 ft. from a stopped school bus that is loading or unloading children.
  2.  Drivers must stop for a stopped school bus when traveling on four or five lane roadways which are not separated by any barriers.
  3.  When stopped drivers must not proceed until the bus moves again or the visual warning signals are no longer in use.

Join us this week to pay tribute to our school system drivers for the job well-done, safely transporting Acadiana students to and from school every day! For more information about bus safety efforts and improvements please contact Damon Evans, Director of Transportation, for the Lafayette Parish School System at 337-521-7439.

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