ABILENE, Texas — Abilene Independent School District officials told bus driver Penny Downing to remove the Easter wreath she placed on the hood of her bus last week for safety reasons, KTXS reports.
Downing decorated the bus with a wreath made of Easter eggs and bunny decals on the windows. She told the news outlet that the students love the decorations and that after Easter she planned to decorate the bus with a summer theme.
Randy Gover, the district’s transportation director, told the news outlet that after a previous KTXS story featuring Downing aired, someone complained about the safety and legality of decorations on a school bus’ exterior. Gover added that the decorations were well-intentioned, but the district agreed that the wreath could be a potential distraction for other drivers. Downing was allowed to keep the decorations on the inside of the bus, a district spokesperson told the news outlet.
Some parents are upset by the district’s decision, according to another KTXS story. One parent told the news outlet that, for football and basketball games, there are streamers and writing on the windows of the school buses, which would also be considered a distraction.
District tells driver to take Easter decoration off bus
Abilene (Texas) Independent School District officials told Penny Downing to remove the Easter wreath she placed on the hood of her bus, citing a potential distraction to other drivers.
More Management
All About Cooperative Purchasing: A Guide for School Transportation Pros
Stop bidding everything and try a simpler way. Here's how cooperative purchasing can streamline purchases while maintaining compliance. Sourcewell breaks down the process in this episode of The Route, sponsored by IC Bus.
Read More →
EverDriven Launches New School Bus Routing Services
The alternative transportation company expands its services to traditional yellow buses with the launch of a new division focused on helping school districts optimize their routes.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Joshua Roberts of First Student
Roberts, 35, serves as the lead IT application engineer for vehicle electrification at First Student, where he helps shape scalable, real-world EV infrastructure to support student transportation.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Quavion Swazer of Puyallup School District
Swazer, 29, serves as director of transportation at Puyallup School District, where he champions student wellbeing and inspires the next generation of industry leaders.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Katia Dubas of IMMI
Dubas, 38, serves as sales manager and safety advocate at IMMI, where she advances school bus occupant protection through industry education, OEM collaboration, and proactive safety policy efforts.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Eric Kramlick of TransPar
Kramlick, 30, runs operations for TransPar in Hawaii, where he also showed dedication while helping Maui recover from the recent wildfires.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Jonquez Moore of Little Elm ISD
Moore, 32, grew up around the school bus, leading him to the classroom and eventually inspiring high-performing teams while bringing operations in house (twice).
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Joshua Baran of Odyssey Charter School
Baran, 38, serves as transportation supervisor at Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, where he leads daily operations with a focus on safety and professional growth.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Tyler Maybee of Denver Public Schools
Maybee, 36, leads transportation operations for Denver Public Schools, where he is advancing equity, efficiency, and cross-department collaboration to improve student access.
Read More →
2026 Trailblazer: Lexi Higgins of TAT
Higgins, 38, serves as director of industry engagement at TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking), where she equips school transportation professionals with the tools to recognize and report human trafficking.
Read More →
