Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Seating Charts -- Your Responses

A couple of weeks ago, we discussed some state trooper's endorsement of seating charts on school buses. We also asked what's going on in your operation in terms of evacuation drills and seating charts and got some replies worth revisiting.
  • A 30-year retired school bus driver told us he always had a seating chart on his bus. It helped him knew which students were on board and limited damage to the bus. "I also told the students they were responsible for that seat area if there was any damage they would be the first to be blamed, so they should report any damage they noticed to me right away. In 30 years I only had 4 seats cut," the driver wrote.
  • A comment told us seating charts were nothing new in his/her district but noted the district divided the bus into a boys' side and girls' side: "This has helped stop some inappropriate touching."
  • Another anonymous comment noted two evacuation drills with all school personnel were required every year in Texas. The district's special needs practices are worth paying some special attention to: "For special needs, our drivers compile a written evacuation plan keeping their students disabilities in mind such as, 'Johnny is autistic and may run, therefore he will need extra supervision.' After I have reviewed the written plan the special needs drivers are cleared to practice twice each year as they unload their students at school during the morning route.
  • Finally, Brenda said she had made some suggestions for evacuation drills, but had been shot done. She wants your ideas for evacuation drills. Any help?

1 comment:

  1. Aloha to All!

    At HCAP Head Start in Honolulu, HI, all bus riders are required to undergo School Bus Emergency Evacuation Drill Training prior to stepping into the Head Start School Bus. The training start in the classroom where a story book about Pedestrian Safety and School Bus Safety is read to the children. Then the children are taken into the school bus for orientation and transitioning. The training curriculum outlines topics such as safe riding practices, use of 5-point child restraints, bus monitor responsibilities, the use of Emergency Doors and Hatches, First Aid Kits, Seat Belt Cutters, and an acutal and physical rear and front door Evacuation of the School Bus. HCAP Head Start takes School Bus Emergency Evacuation Drills seriously. For SY 2008-2009, approximatley 80 Evacuation Drills were performed within the HCAP Head Start centers. Please visit our School Bus Safety Site at www.stnonline.com/go/109.

    Aloha and Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

We want this to be an open forum for the hundreds of thousands of people that help get students to school safely every day. We want to hear what you think, what's going on at your facility and what solutions you've found. But, please, keep it civil. Just like on the bus, we'll have no tolerance for attacks or anything defamatory. We won't write you up, but we'll delete the comments right away. So don't bother. But if you have something to share, this is your place.

Thanks,
STN Editors