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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.

April 1, 2015
1 min to read


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.

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