LISBON, Ohio — Pupil transporters across the state were given special attention on Monday as part of Ohio’s School Bus Driver Appreciation Day.

The state’s superintendent of public instruction, Susan Tave Zelman, reminded Ohioans of the critical role that school bus drivers fill.

“Safely transporting students to and from school is vital to education,” Zelman said. “The professionalism of Ohio’s 20,000 school bus drivers is why the school bus remains — by far — the safest way for students to get to school.”

The state Legislature designated the first Monday in May as School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, with its goal being to “increase public recognition of the important function that school bus drivers serve in safely transporting children to and from school.”

In Lisbon, members of the Columbiana County Educational Service Center’s transportation department received several practical gifts and some encouraging words.

Superintendent Anna Marie Vaughn commended the school bus staffers for their hard work and expressed the district’s gratitude. She also presented them with “End of the Year Survival Kits,” which included the following items (along with their stated purposes):

• An energy bar (“for those early mornings”)
  

• Aspirin (“to handle those headaches”)
  

• Chocolate (“to sweeten the day”)
  

• A new pencil (“for all the end-of-year paperwork”)
  

• Large sunglasses (“to put a smile on everyone’s face”)
  

• A $5 restaurant gift card (“to say thank you for a great year”)

  Other celebrations across the state included barbecues, a pizza party, an appreciation breakfast and a cake reception.