Festive school bus wins award in Christmas parade
Humble (Texas) Independent School District adorned a bus with Christmas lights, reindeer antlers and other decorations for a local parade, and the team took home a top honor.
Humble ISD school bus drivers Nicole Pennetta (left) and Karen Ferris were key players in the district’s Christmas parade entry.
HUMBLE, Texas — A school bus adorned with Christmas lights, reindeer antlers and other decorations took home a top honor in a local Christmas parade last week.
Humble Independent School District (ISD) bus driver Nicole Pennetta came up with the idea to enter a yellow bus in the parade, and she organized efforts to decorate the bus. Another Humble ISD driver, Karen Ferris, dressed as Mrs. Claus and drove the bus in the parade.
For the Dec. 2 event, Humble ISD assembled more than 50 drivers, attendants, other staff members and kids to ride in and walk with the bus down Humble’s Main Street. Mark Swackhamer, the district’s assistant director of transportation, said that many students in the crowd cheered on the bus team.
Decorations on the school bus “float” included Christmas lights, reindeer antlers and giant snowflakes.
The festive school bus was apparently also popular with the parade’s judges: The Humble ISD transportation team won the motor vehicle float category. Swackhamer said that trophies will be presented at the Humble City Council meeting on Jan. 8.
Humble ISD, based about 20 miles north of Houston, transports approximately 11,000 students to and from 43 schools with a fleet of about 267 buses. The district’s buses cover more than 1.7 million miles per year.
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