As Bay District Schools prepares to welcome students back to school on Monday, August 10, BDS is asking drivers across Bay County to help us start the new school year safely by slowing down, staying alert and watching carefully for school buses and students.
More than 8,300 students rely on Bay District Schools buses each day to get to and from school. Our 99 bus drivers travel 99 routes and cover approximately 6,632 miles every school day, more than 1.2 million miles over the course of a school year.
With buses returning to the roads Monday morning, drivers should remember what the flashing lights on a school bus mean.
Yellow flashing lights mean the bus is preparing to stop. Drivers should slow down, use caution and be prepared to stop. Students may be nearby as the bus approaches its stop.
Red flashing lights and an extended stop arm mean STOP. Students are getting on or off the bus, and Florida law requires motorists to stop as applicable based on the roadway. Drivers should remain stopped until the stop arm is withdrawn and the bus begins moving again.
“Keeping our students safe is a responsibility we all share,” said Superintendent Mark McQueen. “Our Transportation Team does an incredible job safely transporting thousands of students every day, but we need the help of our entire community. When you see a school bus, slow down, pay attention and give our students the time and space they need to get on and off safely.”
Drivers should also be especially cautious around bus stops during the early morning and afternoon hours. Children may be waiting near the roadway or crossing the street to reach their bus, and younger students may not always be easily visible.
The same extra attention is needed in our school zones. Drivers should watch for flashing school zone signs, crossing guards, students walking or riding bicycles and changing traffic patterns as families settle back into their school-year routines.
Several school zones within the City of Panama City are also monitored by automated speed enforcement cameras, with full enforcement beginning on the first day of school. Drivers traveling 11 mph or more over the posted school zone speed limit during enforcement times may receive a citation.
Our BDS Transportation Team works year-round to ensure our buses are safe, well-maintained and driven by trained professionals. But keeping students safe doesn't stop with our bus drivers.
It takes all of us.
As more than 27,000 Bay District Schools students return to classrooms Monday, we encourage everyone to leave a little earlier, slow down in school zones, stay alert around bus stops and always use caution around school buses.
A few extra seconds of patience can help ensure every student gets to school, and back home, safely.