STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — More than 90 school bus drivers from across the state will converge here this weekend to take part in the 39th annual Pennsylvania School Bus Drivers Safety Competition.

The event will be held at Mount Nittany Middle School on Friday and Saturday.

The competition begins on Friday evening with an orientation and written examination. On Saturday morning, the drivers return to the middle school, where the parking lot will be configured for the skills competition. The drivers are tested in a number of skill areas, including physical and verbal bus inspection, height judgment, a simulated bus stop, railroad crossings and curb line parking.

Drivers compete locally to earn a spot in the state competition. The top four winners then earn an opportunity to compete at the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition, which will be held in Minneapolis in July.

“Running the school bus safety competition is truly a team effort,” said Dallas Krapf, chair of the competition. ”We could not hold this event without the school bus contractors, equipment providers and other industry-related companies that support the competition as volunteers and with their financial support.”

“The drivers competing in the safety competition have worked hard to get to this point,” added Mike Berk, executive director of the Pennsylvania School Bus Association, which sponsors the event. “They proudly represent drivers and school bus contractors from across Pennsylvania whose number one priority is the safe transportation of our children to and from school every day.”