BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The Kentucky Association for Pupil Transportation recently recognized several members of the Warren County Public Schools transportation department for their commitment to student safety.

The association named John Odom, the district’s director of transportation, Director of the Year at its annual recognition dinner. Mary McGrew was named the state's Driver of the Year and Dickie Sadler was honored as Special Needs Driver of the Year.

Superintendent Tim Murley said the awards are indicative of the department's dedication to serving students.

"I think we have an outstanding transportation department and I know they do everything it takes to get kids home safely," Murley said. "Everything they do is centered around that mission. We have the best as far as I'm concerned."

Here is some information about the Warren County Public Schools transportation department and things that the staff does each year:

• The fleet has 220 buses with 170 on the road carrying over 8,000 students, which include over 500 preschoolers, twice daily. The department provides transportation for various programs, such as school for the deaf/blind, ESL and homeless students over a 554 square-miles district.
• The department provides transportation for over 2,000 field trips annually.
• The drivers traveled over 2.6 million miles last school year.
• The department employs 210 certified CDL drivers, 80 monitors and 17 staff employees that are evaluated each year.
• The department tracks and monitors five district fueling stations at an annual cost of over $1 million per year.
• The trainers are certified to teach CPR and first aid for transportation employees.
• A full-service training and certification process allows the staff to interview, train and certify CDL drivers onsite.
• All insurance, vehicle registration and tracking of board-owned vehicles involved in accidents and insurance claims is handled within the department.
• The staff monitors weather conditions and recommends and coordinates school closings when necessary.