Nine children were killed by their own school bus or by a passing vehicle during the 2000-01 school year, a decline of 59% from the previous year and the lowest total in more than a decade. The statistics are gathered annually by the Kansas State Department of Education. Last year, 22 children were killed in loading/unloading zone accidents. According to the survey, five of the children were killed by their own bus, while four were fatally injured by passing motorists. Five of the nine students killed were 6 years old or younger. Of the five buses that fatally injured students, four were Type C (conventional) buses and one was a Type D (transit-style) bus. Eight of the fatalities occurred as the child was going home; the other occurred during the morning pick-up. Over the past decade, including the 2000-01 school year, the average number of “danger zone” fatalities has been 19.7. During the 1997-98 school year, 10 students were killed. All 50 states responded to the survey. Washington, D.C., was the only non-respondent.