The Associated Press reported that Mario Meschino, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to the child pornography charge. Evidently, there were two other charges, but prosecutors agreed to drop them in exchange for his plea.

At sentencing on April 14, the former First Student employee could be sent to prison for up to 30 years and be fined $500,000.

According to police, Meschino admitted to storing the child porn on his computer and to transmitting it to others via the Internet. And what should cause shudders everywhere to parents and pupil transporters alike, is that he also admitted to taking pictures of clothed children on his Planeview school bus. It was unknown if any of those students were his victims.

Whether Meschino sought a school bus driver position for the sole purpose of being closer to children is anyone's guess. The AP said that he had been employed by First Student since 2004, and that the company fired him after his arrest last May.

The judge said it best that the "creepiness" of Meschino's crime was justification in itself for not revoking bond. Even after his arrest and on home confinement while awaiting trial, neighbors complained to police that he was taking pictures of clothed children from his house.

For some states, extending the lifespan of a bus can mean millions of dollars in savings, and that is when it is done by a few years. But, in this city that sits almost 9,000 miles away, the government has decided to jump from 20 years to 30. But, according to the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) and its chairman, Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique, the contractors "are required to send their buses for periodical checks at the Computerised Vehicle Inspection center to ensure the vehicles are road worthy."

Although there is no industry standard when it comes to school bus replacement cycles, most states usually hover around 12 years. In 2002, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services released a report that recommended 12 to 15 years for Type C and D buses and eight to 10 years for Type A and B buses. But, where do the savings end and safety violations begin?

The State of Colorado has established a very unique program to assist individuals who feel they must "tell." Please review the following excerpt from the Safe2Tell program Web site:

Mission
To ensure that every Colorado student, parent, teacher and community member has access to a safe and anonymous way to report any concerns to their safety or the safety of others, with a focus on early intervention and prevention through awareness and education.

Background
Research shows that in 81 percent of violent incidents in U.S. schools, someone other than the attacker knew it was going to happen but failed to report it. According to the Columbine Commission’s report, young people are reluctant to report threats due to a student culture that fosters and enforces a "code of silence".

Safe2Tell provides students and adults in all Colorado schools and communities an increased ability to both prevent and report violence by making safe, ANONYMOUS calls.

Anonymity is key. Both state law and the procedures established by Safe2Tell for receiving and forwarding tips guarantees the anonymity of every caller. Calls are answered at a Colorado State Patrol communication center. When action is needed, information is immediately forwarded to local school officials and law enforcement agencies, as appropriate.

Safe2Tell then goes the extra step and follows up with the school who received the tip to ensure that it was investigated and that action was taken. The assurance that calls cannot be tracked and that appropriate action will be taken is helping persuade young people to move away from a code of silence and to take a stand.

One benefit of empowering students to help create their own safe school environment is increased academic performance. Dr. Del Elliott of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence states, "In some cases, there is little reason to believe that changes in curriculum or instructional practices will have any significant effect on academic performance until kids feel safe and respected at school."

Results
From September 2004 to July 2009, over 6,800 calls have been received resulting in1994 Tip Reports from 148 Colorado cities and 56 counties. They include the following:

• 110 Assaults
• 181 Harassment
• 585 Bullying
• 5 Internet Misuse
• 4 Cheating
• 188 Guns /Weapons
• 145 Child Abuse
• 28 Prevented School Attacks
• 6 Sexting
• 5 Run Aways
• 60 Cutting
• 18 Sexual Assault
• 22 Domestic Violence
• 149 Sexual Misconduct
• 367 Drugs/Alcohol
• 191 Suicide Preventions
• 91 Fights
• 27 Thefts
• 3 Fire Starting
• 287 Threats
• 39 Gang-Related
• 34 Vandalism
• 11 Animal Cruelty
• 1 Eating Disorder
• 214 School Disciplinary Actions
• 553 Increased Awareness/Monitoring
• 43 Arrests
• 248 Counseling/Referrals
• 271 Investigations
• 218 Prevention/Intervention Plans

Following are some comments from Tip Reports:

"Keep up the excellent work! We appreciate Safe2Tell!" – School Resource Officer

"Thank you! This report definitely saved this student’s life." – School Counselor

"Detailed and helpful information that allowed for immediate action." – Deputy

"Excellent information on this tip, a serious situation was prevented."– School Principal

"This tip ultimately led to two arrests and mandatory drug counseling." – Sheriff

Safe2Tell is a statewide program that is available 24 hours-a-day for students and adults to report a potential threat to their safety or the safety of others. "As we mark the tenth anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings, we welcome the opportunity to offer a tool to students to remind them that help is just a phone call away," said Special Agent Susan Payne, Safe2Tell executive director. "We developed Safe2Tell to help persuade young people to move away from a code of silence and take a stand. The overall goal is to empower young people to keep their community safe.

You can make a difference by starting up SAFE2TELL in your state. Please contact Safe2Tell at 719-520-7435, or email them at info@safe2tell.org. They will send you a packet of information to help you implement the program in your state. And, they’ll be available if you need more help along the way.

To get started, please Click on the Safe2Tell Program Enrollment Form and e-mail it to info@safe2tell.org.

The 5-year-old Atlanta girl had just left her school bus and was about to cross the street when a Nissan Altima passed the school bus and hit her. The student was rushed to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. News reports, at this writing anyway, said the incident was still under investigation and that charges were pending. One thing is for sure, the world has senselessly lost another young life for the benefit of saving a minute or two during some unfortunate soul's afternoon commute.

Seemingly, is there no solution to the epidemic of motorists who fail to know state and local school bus laws? One commenter to the article posted: "Probably another idiot passing a stopped school bus. We need snipers on the bus to take these fools out!" Another wrote: "That's the main reason why me or my Husband be [sic] at the bus stop befor and after. and why is it a 5yrs. old crossing the street by her self."

Do the laws, themselves, share some of the blame? First off, school buses are widely considered by those in the pupil transportation industry as well as law enforcement to be rolling traffic signals. But doesn't this very statement lead to confusion? Yes, school buses have stop arms that extend from the bus when stopped, after the amber lights are activated, which are preceded by the flashing yellow warning lights designed to inform other motorists to use caution since the bus is preparing to stop. Logic dictates, OK, yellow light equals slow down. But here, perhaps, is where things get tricky.

I've heard and read that sometimes drivers in certain districts, say in central California, have been admonished by either the highway patrol or their employers for sending conflicting messages to motorists. What they're supposed to do is activate the yellow lights some 200 feet or so before getting to a stop. Only after stopping, and at the driver's discretion as he or she scans traffic, should the amber lights and stop arm (and crossing gate) be activated, the doors opened and the child allowed to exit. (In California, it should be noted, drivers can be required to turn off the engine, secure the bus, leave their seats and help cross a child.)

But, there can be some drivers, I've heard, who activate the reds and stop arm too soon, when the bus is still moving, in fact. You need not imagine how other motorists react.

To be a true rolling traffic signal, should school buses also have a green light, too, indicating to motorists that they can now safely pass the school bus? That discussion is well above my pay grade, and, indeed, it might do more harm than good, especially in the light of "only" about a dozen or so children dying in the school bus danger zone at stops. But, clearly, if something can be done to save even one life, like with the seat belt issue, shouldn't it be done?

WCVBTV5 in Boston reported this week that the local First Student operation immediately suspended Quentin E. McKenney, 60, after Portsmourth, N.H., police arrested him last week for asking a middle school student for sex. McKenney was released on $25,000 personal recognizance bail and was ordered to stay away from children and 300 feet away from any playground. The investigation by both police and First Student was ongoing, but First Student representatives did say that McKenney passed both criminal and driving background checks.

What adds a wrinkle to the case was a statement made by police investigators to the Union Leader newspaper that the 13-year-old girl had called the bus drier at least 10 times on her call phone before the alleged Nov. 5 incident on the school bus. This statement had the Web site comment board buzzing.

While police continued to question other children on McKenney’s bus, it does beg the question of why the young girl was calling her bus driver in the first place. Not to make any excuse for a 60-year-old man making sexual advances towards a minor, and one must question why the girl had McKenney’s phone number in the first place, but one might wonder if school districts have considered the possible liability of such advances from a student to an adult employee.

Common sense and common decency say that, if the student was the one to pursue a relationship, the driver should have immediately reported it to a supervisor and ceased all contact with the girl. But, apparently he did not. Still, should schools have a policy for drivers to follow should a student call them on the phone or attempt to engage them in anyway outside of their normal work duties?

If they don’t have said policy, should they?