HIGH POINT, N.C. — Thomas Built Buses has announced its fifth annual Children's Choice School Bus Driver of the Year essay contest.

Students in kindergarten through sixth grade across North America are invited to submit 90-word essays to nominate their favorite drivers.

In their own words and illustrations, students can describe what makes their school bus drivers special. The winning essays will be featured on the Thomas Built website when the judging is complete.

Thomas Built introduced the contest in 2006 to recognize the contributions individual drivers make to children's safety and overall well-being. Last year, more than 1,000 entries were submitted by students from all 50 states and Canada.

"A school bus driver's primary responsibility is to get students safely to school and home again but, in a way, a bus is a classroom, a place where the driver serves as an example," said Kelley Platt, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. "As a result, drivers often become someone the children look up to, someone who is an admired mentor, a trusted guardian and a dear friend."

Entries must be postmarked by June 30, 2010. The grand prize winner will receive a laptop computer and a $1,000 educational savings bond for the nominating child and a $1,000 Visa gift card for the nominated driver. All winners and runners up also will receive Thomas Built Buses jackets and Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus lunch boxes. To enter the contest, visit www.thomasbus.com/contest for complete rules and an entry form.