Last year, with the completion of the new high school building, Gary Cuendet’s job as transportation director was markedly different.
Scores of bus routes had to be re-drawn, re-routed and re-worked to wind their way throughout the city and the surrounding area to pick up the 3,000-plus children who would be riding a school bus.
The district’s buses travelled a combined 851,000 miles on those routes last school year.
While there are no major bus route changes this year, Cuendet says transporting kids safely to and from school is still his top priority.
“The school bus is an extension of the school day. School starts when they get on the bus and stops when they get off,” Cuendet said. “Just because they’re not in a classroom, doesn’t mean we’re not responsible for their safety.”
At the start of every school year, Cuendet says his worry increases dramatically until new students, parents and drivers all get used to seeing school buses on the roads and obeying the rules.
For instance, drop-off times may fluctuate as teachers help elementary-aged students get on the right bus home. The students themselves have to get used to the routine of boarding a bus and expected behaviors. School bus drivers may take a few extra moments at stops to become familiar with parents and guardians who will be dropping-off and picking-up younger students at the stops.
“We lose control of a child once they leave a bus,” Cuendet said. “So we want to take as many precautionary actions as we can before something happens.”
New this year is a code of conduct students will be expected to follow while riding.
Cuendet said the code of conduct will combine all of the little rules into two big, simple rules.
Bus drivers will go over the code with their passengers sometime during the first weeks of school to ensure everyone understands, Cuendet said.
Cuendet hopes the new code of conduct will help eliminate bullying issues.
Also new this year, Cuendet has implemented a Character Plus program called Wheels.
The program focuses on educating drivers and other school personnel to target good character behaviors and proactively address bullying issues.
Cuendet said the difference could mean taking the bully out of his domain simply by talking to him/her about their day before he/she gets off the bus at the end of the day and before he/she gets back on the next morning.
“It’s nothing bad. It’s asking them how their day was, what they did at school,” Cuendet said. “But that bully’s friends will see and will want to know what’s said.”
Bullying can also be based on the target’s perception, not the harasser’s intent, Cuendet said. Educating students on the difference is also an important part of the program.
Statistically, Cuendet said an average of 24 million students are transported by bus to schools nationwide. Of those, half say they see bullying occurring daily.
“We definitely think it’s a safety issue that needs to be addressed,” Cuendet said.
Contact this reporter at deannaw@lakesunleader.com