Elementary students who ride the school bus in Eanes ISD in Austin, Texas, are being outfitted with special lights to make them more visable to motorists during early morning commute hours thanks to a statewide initiative to fund school programs that aim to reduce risk and increase student and community safety.
Eanes ISD began handing out the circular lights the week of Oct. 26 to about 1,700 of its students and their parents for attaching to backpacks with instruction to turn on the lights when the student leaves home each morning for the bus stop. Once the bus arrives and the students board, bus drivers are instructed to tell the students to turn off the light and to turn it on again the following morning when leaving home.
Elementary tschool students were chosen for the "Be Safe, Be Seen," program run by the district's transportation department and office of afety and risk management because their school bus routes begin earlier than do the district’s middle and high schools, meaning these younger students could be prone to more dangerous routes to their bus stops.
Funds to reimburse the purchase of the lights came from a $1,000 Texas Association of School Boards Risk Management Fund Innovation Award earlier this year. The award recognizes school districts that have implemented risk management programs that increase safety and reduce liability.
Also winning an award this year was Boerne ISD, which is located just off of Interstate 10 about 20 miles north of San Antonio. The school district used its award to install a camera system that records license plate numbers of cars that were running school bus red lights and stop arms. The Boerne Police Department also agreed to cite any vehicle caught on camera. A media campaign was also launched to inform the public about the law requiring all vehicles to stop while busses are loading or unloading.
Meanwhile, Brady ISD about 50 miles to the north is training bus drivers using to use the Spencer Henry Discipline Management module to cut down on the number of referrals of student bus riders for behavior problems. Henry is an Ephrata, Pa., based consultant, motivational speaker and former teacher and principal with 40 years of education experience who advocates discipline plans built on mutual respect.
The deadline for submitting applications for 2010 awards is Jan. 22, 2010.