National School Bus Safety Week is October 20-24, 2025. School buses are one of the safest modes of transportation. The week recognizes the critical importance of school bus operations in safely delivering students to and from school.
While celebrating the dedication of school bus drivers and proven safety records, the weekly observance also calls attention to the need for motorists to be aware of State school bus laws and partnership in bus safety.
As always, drivers are reminded to pay extra attention to students crossing roads near bus stops and obey school bus traffic signals. When a school bus stops with flashing red lights on and extended stop sign, drivers in both directions are required by law to stop. Those lights mean that a child is either boarding or disembarking a school bus.
Students who ride the yellow school bus need to listen to their school bus driver and follow their directions as these transportation professionals work to provide students with a safe ride daily. Parents and caregivers also need to be patient with school bus drivers and school transportation providers as they work to get students to and from school safely each day. There might be delays in getting students transported in a timely manner due to road construction, rerouting of traffic, or weather events.
Parents can use the My Ride App, which is a USD 457 Transportation Mobile App that is designed to help families stay informed about their child’s school transportation schedules. It is a must-have app for any parent or student who hopes to never miss the bus again.
The Garden City Public Schools Transportation Department has 35 professional drivers and 11 personnel that work to safely transport around 1,900 students per day, as well as 200 special needs students with daily door-to-door service. The school buses travel a total of 2,800 miles per day or approximately 529,200 miles per school year. The department covers 186 routes across the district during each morning and afternoon.