Bus Driver Appreciation Day In Minnesota – Wednesday February 27

Yesterday on Talk of the Town, we had guest Steve Hale from the Owatonna Bus Company. We talked about the challenges the bus drivers have faced this school year alone; including all of the snow days that we have been having. In fact, there was even a non-scheduled day off, he called it a "tornado day" that happened in the Fall. This came from the severe storms and tornado that rolled through the area, just in time for Homecoming. Steve said in the 40 plus years he has been with the Owatonna Bus Company, a year like this school year is not real common, and we are all so grateful for that.

Wednesday, February 27th, is School Bus Driver Appreciation Day in the State of Minnesota. This is a day to show your bus drivers your appreciation for transporting your children or grandchildren safely to school and other activities. The Bus Company doesn't just transport children to school in Owatonna, they are driving those students to sporting events, field trips, etc.

The drivers are responsible for up to 80 students at a time, and they do send out a letter with the bus routes as well as the rules and regulations for riders. You can find those here. Steve Hale mentioned the cameras on the busses after he was asked, he said they are a great tool for enforcing rules, as well as "making saints out of riders and drivers." One really good thing about the busses in our area, they are not seeing many stop-arm violations, which is a great thing.

So, when you send your child out to the bus, if you can, take the time to thank the driver. Have the kiddos give them a high-five, as well as a thank you. They are doing a great job keeping those kiddos safe, delivering them to school and other events.