Texas Border Business
Rio Grande Valley, TX – This week, IDEA Public Schools along with the Texas Department of Public Safety and local police departments will join forces to recognize National School Bus Safety Week. The national theme this year is Red Lights Mean STOP!
At IDEA Public Schools, more than 19,000 students are transported across Texas and Louisiana across more than 2 million miles annually. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of travelling by car.
This year’s national campaign is focused on reminding motorists that they need to use caution around school buses and come to a stop when the bus is displaying its red flashing lights. Texas laws requires motorists to stop clear of the school bus until the bus driver cancels the red lights.
IDEA Public Schools transportation department offers the following tips to children while getting on and off the bus:
- Get to the bus stop in plenty of time.
- Wait at your driver designated place of safety.
- Take ten giant steps away from the bus when unloading.
- Always follow the driver’s directions for how to cross the street.
- Be alert to traffic and look both ways.
- If you must cross the street, always cross in front of the bus.
Along with these safety tips, IDEA Public Schools has updated transportation protocols by adding increased health and safety guidelines for the 2020-21 school year, which includes taking temperature screenings of all students before entering a bus, requiring masks are worn while on the bus and limiting seating to accommodate for social distancing.
