Bus stop ID program targets student safety
Innovative program features wristbands that match students to the right bus. Wristbands list student's name, grade, school, route and stop number.

At Pasco County Schools, the transportation department purchased wristbands for elementary school bus passengers so the drivers can make sure they get off at the correct stops. A student’s name and grade level, an abbreviation of the name of his or her school, the school’s telephone number, and the student’s bus route and stop number are printed on the bands.
[IMAGE]8[/IMAGE]
LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — Pasco County Schools has developed an innovative program to ensure that elementary students get off the bus at the right stop in the afternoon.
Wristbands were purchased by the transportation department and then distributed during registration in August. A student's name and grade level, an abbreviation of the name of his or her school, the school's telephone number, and the student's bus route and stop number are printed on the bands. Parents were asked to attach the bands to their kids' backpacks.
Transportation Director Gary Sawyer said that the colors of the wristbands vary and represent the bus routes. To help students determine which buses they should board, the department staff glued several wristbands to pieces of paper, wrote the route numbers on the papers and hung them in the bus windows. The students could then match their wristbands with the ones in the windows.
During the first three weeks of the school year, bus drivers were given an attendance sheet and instructed to take attendance as the students boarded their buses in the afternoon.
"We targeted three weeks so that we would know that the students got on the buses," Sawyer explained. "Plus, after a month or so, drivers know the students and where they need to exit. The drivers check the bus stop number on the wristbands before the students exit to make sure that they get off at the correct stops."
The department implemented the program because in the past, some young students would disembark their buses at the incorrect stop the first few days of school, causing a panic.
The program is an expanded version of one that has been running at Mittye P. Locke Elementary, one of the district's elementary schools, for about five years.
Tammy Berryhill, principal at Mittye P. Locke, said that for her program, the wristbands were color-coded (without any text on them) to correspond with the buses, helping students figure out which ones they should board.
"This new program is an improvement to our program," Berryhill said. "It takes safety to the next level."
Berryhill said that school staff members worked with the students to help them remember to show their wristbands to their bus drivers, and they also showed parents ways to attach the bands to backpacks for them to be accessible to the drivers.
Pasco County Schools piloted the program in May. Sawyer said that feedback was positive.
"I think people are happy that we're trying something that will help to keep track of students," Sawyer said. "It should tighten things up."
More Safety

Illegal School Bus Passing Drops 24% in New York Districts
With fewer than 5% of citations involving repeat offenders, Westchester County officials said enforcement, education, and community partnerships are helping change driver behavior.
Read More →
School's Back. Here's What Happened to Traffic, Speeding & Distraction
What happens to traffic when school resumes? New data analysis examines changes in distracted driving, congestion, and speeding around schools.
Read More →
Geotab Expands Fleet Safety Tools With Video Coaching, Risk Insights
New safety and video capabilities aim to help fleet managers assess risk, support drivers, and take targeted action through video coaching, red-light violation detection, and more.
Read More →
How to Build a Better School Bus Driver Training Program
Is it time to strengthen your driver training? Here’s how to pick the right talent and improve recruitment, retention, and safety. This video is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →
Recent School Bus Accidents Leave 2 Dead, 2 Injured
Four school bus crashes in Florida, Illinois, and Georgia highlight risks in transportation lots, at bus stops, and during student loading and unloading.
Read More →
When Every Second Matters, Clarity Keeps Routes Moving
From routine delays to urgent incidents, strong communication practices help drivers, dispatchers, schools, and families respond with confidence.
Read More →
What Happens When a School Bus Catches Fire — and What Can Help
School bus fires are rare but can be devastating. Learn how advances in fire suppression and asset protection help fleets detect fires earlier, reduce damage, and improve safety.
Read More →
Geotab Launches Tool to Help Fleets Investigate Road Incidents
Geotab Investigations combines telematics data, video, documents, and other evidence to help fleets reconstruct incidents, resolve claims, and determine what happened.
Read More →
Texas Sixth Grader Wins 2026 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest
Sai Darshana Yekolu of Moseley Middle School in Prosper, Texas, was named the newest winner for her artwork, bringing the theme of “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” to life.
Read More →
Doing More With Less: How Transportation Directors Can Prioritize Safety Amid Budget Uncertainty
With diesel prices soaring and nearly one-third of transportation directors expecting budget cuts, maintaining student safety has never been more challenging. Download this guide to learn how leading districts are prioritizing risk, funding critical safety technology, and building stronger budget cases with data.
Read More →

