How Sal^ Are School Buses? 



IT IS a striking situation when people 

 who have vigorously opposed bus 

 transportation fight for its retention 

 with even more vigor after., they 

 have become used to it. From both pria.- - 

 cipals and county superintendeltts conies 

 word that it is a great deal more diffi- 

 cult to sell them on the idea of using 

 it in the first place. War-time prob- 

 lems in bus transportation have ap- 

 parently not caused any slackening of 

 demand for it where it has been in 

 operation. 



One farmer school board member in 

 a district that operates 7 school buses 

 recently said that he did not blame the 

 parent for not wanting to give up bus 

 transportation, even if it did cost the 

 district more money. He said that he 

 would not want his child walking down 

 a hard road or any road with traffic like 

 it is in normal times. "They are safer in 

 the school bus," he said. 



Perhaps a great many people would 

 be interested in knowing what attempt 

 is made or can be made by school bus 

 operators to increase the probability 

 of safe school bus transportation. In 

 the first place, all school buses in Illi- 

 nois are given a very rigid safety in- 

 spection in December and August^f 

 each year at a regular bus inspection 

 headquarters. Any deficiencies must be 

 corrected before the bus is approved. 

 Without this approval at the inspection 

 headquarters, no money is forth com- 

 ing from the state as reinbursement 

 for pupil transportation. 



Also the driver has to have a chauf- 

 feur's license, must have had experience 

 driving buses or trucks, must pass a 

 health examination, a mental exami- 

 nation, and an examination in actually 

 driving the bus, the two latter exam- 

 inations being given by members of 

 the state police force. 



Then the principal of the schocfl has 

 the responsibility of seeing that the 

 school buses are in safe operating con- 

 dition and to plan the routes with an 

 eye to the maximum safety, comfort, 

 and convenience of those served. 

 Among other duties he is to plan the 

 school program for those children who 

 arrive early or remain late on account 

 of transportation schedules, so that 

 they will be under supervision at all 

 times, and, if possible, have a planned 

 program of activity. 



By John K. Cox 



lAA Director of Rural School Relations 



The bus drivers have the responsi- 

 bility of keeping the bus in repair or 

 reporting needed repairs to the princi- 

 pal. Also he must maintain discipline 

 on the bus and report unusual cases of 

 misconduct on the bus to the princi- 

 pal. The driver is in full charge of 

 the bus and the pupils while en-route. 

 He must be obeyed. Through a large 

 rear view mirror he has a reasonably 

 good vision of what happens in the bus. 

 The driver can stop the bus and correct 

 a disobedient child or put him off 



turn reports such cases to the proper 

 state authorities. 



Pupils may be assigned seats in the 

 bus and allowed to move only by con- 

 sent of the driver and when the bus 

 is not in motion. Pupils must not use 

 tobacco while being ,transported nor 

 throw waste paper or other rubbish 

 on the floor of the bus. Pupils must 

 not extend their head or arms out of 

 bus windows. When buses are in mo- 

 tion, the windows must be kept at a 

 level high enough to discourage the 



Rural atudenta appreciate the convenience School ready for a day's work. School 

 oi modem bus transportation. Here boys buses in Illinoie are required to meet 

 hop ofl the bus at the Greenfield High safety standards. i . .. 



the bus to walk home if the pupil's 

 conduct is persistently unsatisfactory. 

 It has been found that this punishment 

 is a very powerful "persuader." 



In addition to the responsibilities of 

 bus drivers and principals, the pupils 

 have some definite responsibilities. 

 They must obey monitors or patrols on 

 duty. These officers are generally older 

 children, charged with the duty of as- 

 sisting younger pupils on and off the 

 bus and helping them to get across 

 traffic lanes. The stop arm on the bus 

 is always to be extended when the bus 

 is stopped if the bus is being used to 

 transport pupils. The state law requires 

 that all traffic stop while the school 

 bus is stopped to take on or let off pu- 

 pils on the highways. The bus driver 

 is asked to report the license number 

 of any driver who fails to heed the 

 stop signal to the principal, who in 



thrusting of head or arms out of the 

 windows. Pupils must not try to get 

 on or off the bus or move about while 

 the bus is in motion. When pupils 

 must cross the road to be picked up, 

 the driver, (if the patrol is not used) 

 after looking for approaching cars, mo- 

 tions them to cross. Pupils must await 

 the proper signal and cross promptly. 

 Similar precautions arc taken for un- 

 loading pupils. j 



These responsibilities of the bus 

 driver, the principal and the pupils 

 are outlined in the bulletin "Safe 

 Transportation ' and published by the 

 Office of State Superintendent of Pub- 

 lic Instruction. It is the guide to school 

 bus transportation and is effective to 

 the extent that its recommendations are 

 applied. Principals often have special 

 meetings at the beginning of the school 



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L A. A. RECORD 



