ORLANDO, Fla. — More than 1,500 transportation employees are preparing for the new school year in Orange County Public Schools’ fall training conference.

The weeklong program kicked off on Monday with presentations on such topics as driving safety, raising security awareness, and improving external and internal customer service. The keynote presentation was given by nationally recognized customer service expert Teri Yanovitch.

Staff from the newly formed Orange County Public Schools Police Department discussed ways to improve workplace security and how to be more vigilant in identifying suspicious packages and activities while on the road.

Other topics that are being covered this week include bullying, pedestrian and bicycle safety, school bus evacuation, stress management and ways to improve nutrition.

District officials said that drivers and monitors will also be preparing their buses, calling parents and conducting dry runs during the scheduled route times to minimize any surprises when school starts next week.

Orange County Public Schools operates more than 900 school buses daily, transporting about 70,000 students.