TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Missing Children’s Clearinghouse recently named school bus driver Billie Jo Kaser the statewide Bus Operator of the Year.

In January, Kaser, a driver for Escambia County School District, observed a 4-year-old walking alone on a busy thoroughfare during her afternoon bus route. When she stopped to assist the child, she discovered that the child and a 2-year-old sibling had been left home alone by their custodial parent, and Kaser notified law enforcement and district officials.

“These actions demonstrate the commitment and concern Ms. Kaser has for our children,” said Jim Paul, the school district’s superintendent. “It has been my experience that Ms. Kaser is a representative of the quality of drivers we have transporting children in our community every day.”

Kaser was scheduled to receive the Bus Operator of the Year Award from Gov. Charlie Crist in September.