Iowa governor proclaims School Bus Safety Week

DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a proclamation that designates the week of Oct. 20-24, 2014, as “School Bus Safety Week in Iowa.”

The event will coincide with National School Bus Safety Week, the theme of which is "At My Stop, You Stop!" this year.

Among the points listed in Branstad’s proclamation are:

• “Schools have the responsibility to educate and transport students to and from school and related activities daily.”

• “There are 7,500 vehicles in Iowa used by schools to transport students to and from school or on activities.”

• “There are approximately 9,000 dedicated school bus drivers in Iowa.”

Owen Freese, executive director of the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association (IPTA), told SBF that the association handed out posters about School Bus Safety Week at the IPTA conference this summer.

Freese said that he also recently sent members a reminder about the upcoming week, encouraging them to promote student safety and to educate their communities about the important role that the school bus plays in the education process.