WCPSS bus drivers prepare for new school year
August 16, 2005 - Bus drivers have completed training as they prepare for the start of the traditional calendar school year August 25 in Wake County.
 Associate Superintendent Don Haydon talks with reporters about getting buses ready to transport students to school. |
 Bus driver Carolyn Blalock stops her bus at the Transportation offices. |
When school resumes, Wake County Public School System drivers will be behind the wheels of more than 783 buses traveling more than 4,000 bus routes making sure 61,000 bus-riding students travel safely each day.
In preparing for the start of a new school year, drivers took part in four days of training the week of August 8. The sessions include defensive driving, bus safety, bus discipline, student management, responding to health concerns and security. Drivers receive their bus and route assignments. They practice driving the new routes based on the students expected to ride the bus to school. New drivers are given additional opportunities to practice their driving skills.
New drivers undergo three days of classroom training and three days of behind-the-wheel training in order to receive initial certification for a Commercial Driver's License with the endorsements required to drive a school bus and transport passengers.
There are currently 783 bus drivers. New driver classes should provide more drivers at the end of August. WCPSS Transportation staff are prepared to cover any routes lacking drivers opening day.
The Wake County Public School System provides bus transportation to all students in the system who live one-and-a-half miles or more from school and to students with identified special needs. The system's transportation department is committed to providing these students with safe, efficient and reliable transportation service that contributes to their overall academic success.
The start of the school year is a hectic time for transportation. Transportation staff began creating the routes for the new year by looking at the students that were transported the prior year and receiving information from schools about their new students.
Transportation staff created new routes based on their expectations of student ridership.
The first week of school, parents and students are making decisions about the best use of buses to get to and from school. As families make decisions about their use of buses, the Transportation Department adapts routes to meet the daily rider demands. As families finalize decisions about their use of bus service, bus routes are finalized. This process generally takes about two weeks.
Parents have many questions about bus service at the start of school. Transportation Director Eddy Adams says his staff will respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. Questions can be e-mailed to transportation@wcpss.net or people can call their Transportation Managers.
|
District |
Manager
|
Phone Number
|
|
Apex
|
Jennifer Bullard
|
387-2230
|
|
Broughton
|
Tina Hinton
|
856-7821
|
|
Cary
|
Jimena Horton
|
460-3517
|
|
East Wake
|
Martin Horton
|
365-2627
|
|
Enloe
|
Torina Lewis
|
856-7916
|
|
Fuquay
|
Leigh Highfill
|
557-2547
|
|
Garner
|
Teresa Williams
|
662-2408
|
|
Green Hope
|
Pam Sanders
|
380-3690
|
|
Millbrook
|
Delores Kittrell
|
870-4247
|
|
Sanderson
|
Alvin McNeill
|
508-9064
|
|
Southeast Raleigh
|
Regina Horton
|
856-2828
|
|
Wakefield
|
vacant
|
562-3630
|
|
Wake Forest
|
Lisa Pennywell
|
554-8631
|
|
Area
|
Area Manager
|
Phone Number
|
|
Northern Area
|
Christy Estes
|
713-0595
|
|
Southern Area
|
Kathy McGhee
|
856-2829
|
|
Western Area
|
Ann Mercer
|
363-1381
|
Transportation Director Eddy Adams can be reached at 856-8050. Adams says his Transportation staff will be working hard during the first weeks of school to meet the needs of families and all year long to make sure children are safely transported to and from school. More information is available at http://www.wcpss.net/transportation/
Transportation Facts
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