School Bus News
Preparing for the new school year
Gilma turns the key in her school bus. Vroom… ! The engine comes to life with a familiar sound. The next step is always a safety check. She steps back out of the bus and inspects the vehicle’s wheels, gauges, lights, mirrors and tires, then back inside to check the seatbelts, emergency door and window and roof vent.
This is Gilma's first bus run of the 2021-22 school year, but it doesn’t include any students. In fact, the first day of school is still a week away!
“All of our bus drivers do practice runs to make sure they know their routes,” said Nora Beltran, Supervisor of KLSD Transportation Department. “Each year is a little different.”
Practice runs are just one of many ways the Transportation Department prepares for the new year.
The Transportation Department's pride in their work shows. Each bus is sparkling clean and up to date on all preventative maintenance. The district’s more than fifty drivers attend regularly scheduled safety meetings and additional training sessions to maintain the skills needed to safely transport students. Beltran works closely with the district registrar in setting more than two hundred bus routes, making sure that each student has access to the safest, most efficient bus stop possible.
This year, Gilma has two new stops on her middle school / high school run. She drives her route, slowing down to see where she will pull off and pick up students.
“I’m ready now,” she said, satisfied, as she turns the bus back to the transportation lot behind John Jay High School. “I’m ready for the new school year!”