During the week of October 19th - October 23rd, 2026, the Granville CSD transportation department and communications office hosted daily reminders of how to be safe on and around school buses.
Day 1: Bus of the Month and Professional Development
We started Bus Safety Week with something fun and celebrated our first Bus of the Month of the 2026-2027 school year. See the short video here on Facebook.
Bus 136 won for having ZERO discipline referrals and always keeping their bus tidy. Way to go Team Horde! 
Continuing on Monday, our bus drivers and attendants received an engaging training on "Riding the School Bus through the Eyes of Autism" from David Krause.
Mr. Krause told engaging stories of what it was like for him riding the bus as an autistic child, how he became a huge fan of school buses (he arrived knowing each bus number and production date!) and helped our team understand how routine, bus buddies and sensory overwhelm can impact students. The team learned practical ways to support autistic students on our buses and gained a greater understanding of autism.
Links: Here's a great resource for understanding autism on the Understood.org website and the Embrace-Autism website. 
Days 2 - 3: Elementary School Presentations
On days two and three, the elementary students received an interactive presentation on how to be safe around the bus, on the bus and getting on and off the bus.
Buses were waiting outside with Mrs. Coley-Thomson, transportation dispatcher, Mrs. Bishop, transportation secretary and Mr. Beecher, driver and mechanic, to learn how to safely stand around the bus, how to prevent distraction while riding the bus and students pretended to drive the bus too.
Did you know that standing 10 feet away from the bus is needed for the driver to see you?
Did you know using our quiet inside voices helps keep our driver's eyes on the road and distraction free?
And did you know that when the bus lights are flashing yellow it means slow down to stop (like a yellow traffic light)? And that red flashing lights on a school bus mean come to a complete stop at least 20 feet away from the bus (including parking lots)? Pass it on!
Day 4: Jr/Sr High Education
Our transportation staff also brought buses to the Jr/Sr High during school lunch hours and students learned that they had an important role in keeping the bus safe.
Jr/Sr High students could be called on to assist the driver in an emergency situation and learned they are like co-captains of the bus. They all sat up a bit straighter when they were shown where the fire extinguisher is located on a bus, how to radio for help and more.
Since they will all be drivers soon, they also learned that there are legal consequences of passing a bus with red flashing lights (including in parking lots at the school and elsewhere) with a minimum $250 traffic violation fine in New York State.
They were made aware of blind spots around the bus and why it's important to walk 10 feet away from the bus.
They also learned that distracted walking to and from school or around the school bus can be very dangerous and that if they drop something near a bus, they should never bend down to get it until they have made complete eye contact with the driver of the bus.
And lastly, bicycles, e-bikes, motorcycles can NOT pass through the red flashing lights on any school bus.
Day 5: Recap
The most important takeaway for our school community is that students, families and staff all have a part in keeping our students safe on school buses.
Yellow flashing lights = SLOW DOWN TO STOP
Red flashing lights = STOP at least 20 feet away, including in parking lots when students are getting on and off the bus at school.
Distracted walking = heads up and alert when walking around buses and near roads where buses pass through.
It's illegal to pass school buses in any capacity when their red flashing lights are on - including bicycles and e-bikes.
Please share these insights with your neighbors and friends and thank you for helping keep our students safe.
Thank you to the transportation department for visiting our schools this week!