October 21, 2022
Luis Bautista never rests when it comes to the training of his bus drivers.
Bautista serves as the trainer at the Humble ISD North Transportation Center and continuously trains bus drivers on safety throughout the year.
“Training is very important,” Bautista said. “For school bus drivers we have to be a lot more careful, especially when transferring precious cargo, which is the kids, to and from school safely every day.”
This week marks National Bus Safety Week across the country, which serves as a reminder to the rules around buses that the public should be aware of:
While the bus is loading or unloading at a stop, all vehicles must stop unless there is a median on a divided highway.
It is the law that all buses stop at railroad tracks with or without students and follow certain procedures.
Follow at a safe distance. Keep in mind that school buses make frequent stops.
Always remain alert for children around buses and remember that they may not always look for vehicles before crossing the street.
Stop for flashing red lights or a stop sign on a school bus, regardless of which direction you’re headed. Continue once the bus has moved, the flashing lights stop flashing, or the bus driver signals it’s okay to pass.
Violations can lead to a fine of up to $1,250 for a first offense.
Humble ISD school bus drivers take safety as their top priority each and every day from the moment they pick the first student up to dropping the last student off.
“That’s our No.1 priority is the safety of the children to and from school,” 19-year bus driver Sue Dauk said.
Alfred Pollard is in his 18th year driving a school bus for Humble ISD.
“We take care of them,” Pollard said. “We’re the first one they see and the last one they see when they go home.”
It is not just a job for Pollard, it means more to him than just that. It is the relationships that he builds with the students who walk up his bus steps every morning that carry on even past high school.
“I met one of my students in Home Depot and she was in college and she called my name out,” Pollard said. “It was exciting to know that they still remember me from driving the school bus. It makes you feel good and also makes you feel old.”
This is the type of bond that forms over the years and it comes with safety as the top goal of Humble ISD.
“At Humble ISD transportation, our top priority is always the safety of our students and team,” Humble ISD Director of Transportation JP Burd said. “Transportation continuously reviews our practices and training program needs to ensure our students' and our employees' wellbeing on the school bus. We are committed to serving our community and our students in making school bus transportation as safe as possible.”