WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American School Bus Council (ASBC) is urging students, parents and teachers nationwide to recognize and thank their school bus drivers this month as part of the Love the Bus program.  

The Love the Bus program, founded in 2007 and coordinated by the ASBC, is celebrated on Valentine's Day and throughout February in school districts across the country as a way to raise awareness and appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of school bus drivers who safely transport children to and from school each day.

"School bus drivers play a critical role in the lives and educations of the nation's students, and the Love the Bus program is a fun way for us to recognize their dedication," said Charlie Hood, president of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services. "While nationwide, communities will participate in a variety of activities and events that honor school bus drivers, we also encourage parents and students to simply take the time to say 'thank you' to their drivers during this celebratory month." 

Parents, teachers and children can find out more about the Love the Bus program at www.LoveTheBus.com. They can participate in this year's program by sharing stories about their favorite bus drivers and making interactive Valentine's cards to e-mail or print and give to their bus drivers during the month. Educators can download a toolkit, which provides resources for implementing a Love the Bus program, from the Website.

Pupil transporters can find information on Love the Bus best practices, how to organize Love the Bus activities at their operations and how to alert the media of these activities through the SBF-hosted Web seminar “Driving Success for Love the Bus in 2010.” The event is archived at www.schoolbusfleet.com/webseminar/2010Jan.

Love the Bus is also an opportunity for the public to learn more about the safety and environmental benefits of school bus transportation. Throughout February, ASBC and its members will hold a series of local events across the U.S. to educate parents and children about school bus safety.