Henry County Schools invites the community to join in recognizing National School Bus Safety Week 2024. The week is happening October 21-25, 2024.
National School Bus Safety Week 2024
The school district shared the following message on their Facebook page:
Join us in wearing a different color shirt each day to represent different safety rules on the bus.
- Monday – Red: Respect the Stop.
- Tuesday – Green: Stay at least 12 feet way from the school bus.
- Wednesday – Blue: Quiet at the Railroad. Stop, Look and Listen.
- Thursday – Yellow: Respect the “Danger Zones.” Know where they are located.
- Friday – Purple: Bus Driver, Monitor and Transportation Staff Appreciation Day.
Henry County Schools has nearly 300 bus routes. The district has 320 bus driver positions within its 2025 annual budget.
Addy’s Law
According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation, school bus drivers reported over 51,000 instances of a driver illegally passing their school bus on a single day in 2020-21. This translates to an estimated 41.8 million violations during the school year. One of these instances tragically cost the life of McDonough eight-year-old Adalynn Pierce in February.
Georgia lawmakers passed “Addy’s Law” this spring in Addy’s memory. The measure, sponsored by State Rep. Lauren Daniel (R-Locust Grove), raised the fine for passing a stopped school bus from $250 to $1,000. This fine can be assessed if a camera attached to the side of the bus observes a motorist passing the bus. A law enforcement officer can also observe the action and issue a ticket.
Featured image shows a group of school buses. Henry County Schools photo.
