U.S. Postal Services to Introduce New School Bus Stamps

December 26, 2022

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced the release of a new additional ounce stamp, stating “the U.S Postal Service celebrates the iconic yellow school bus and its role in ensuring that millions of children get to school and home again every day.”

The artwork on the stamp was provided by artist Steve Wolf, who worked with art director Greg Breeding and designer Mike Ryan to create the final design.

The stamp design shows an image of a 21st century style school bus in front of a schoolhouse. The image of a clock on the roof of the schoolhouse shows that the time as 7:50 a.m., indicating that school will be starting soon.

The USPS website included details on safety features that have been added to school buses through the decades, including cross-view mirrors, stop arms and flashing lights.

The iconic color of the school bus has not changed from the original “National School Bus Chrome” since 1939. That same year, a group of state transportation officials, bus and paint manufacturers began developing safety standards for school buses at Columbia University’s Teacher College in New York City. They found that using black lettering allowed for the most visibility against the yellow paint, particularly in the dimmer light at sunrise and sunset.

While 35 states mandated the color immediately, it wasn’t until 1974 that all states adopted the yellow school bus. Since then, the student transportation industry has continued to mandate requirements that protect student riders onboard the school bus.

USPS also noted that school buses allow for fewer cars to be on the road thus preventing millions of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

While the yellow school bus has become a well-known method of safe and reliable transportation for many students, the USPS continued that “each bus remains its own little world, where countless childhood dramas play out, friendships form and dissolve, and daydreams are dreamed as the landscape passes.”

The stamps will be available starting on Jan. 5 with a pre-order option from the USPS.