By Pam Johnson, Courier
Senior Staff Writer:
Starting
off the year ahead of the game is always the plan for the town’s school bus
service, and this year is no exception. Last week, Guilford’s new kindergarteners participated
in a bus safety orientation presentation and took a test run on buses at all
four elementary schools.
In
addition, the bus company, Student Transportation of America (STA), has added
19 brand-new buses to its Guilford
fleet, just in time for the new school year.
On
Aug. 20 and Aug. 21, representatives of STA ran school bus safety orientations
for incoming kindergarten classes at A.W. Cox, Melissa Jones, Calvin Leete, and
Guilford Lakes elementary schools. The
orientations were scheduled by Guilford Public Schools with STA and were designed
help the young students prepare for their first bus rides to school this week.
The program is an annual event.
On
Aug. 21, STA Dispatcher Sheryl Mansfield and 30 year-veteran bus driver Kelley
Hancke walked kids through the steps involved in boarding, riding, and
disembarking safely. The orientation culminated with the moment of
truth–climbing the stairs for a solo ride with Hancke, parents left behind.
STA
manager Joe Parise noted the new buses carrying kids during the orientations
are the same type as the 19 new International “large” buses that arrived,
factory-fresh, in Guilford
late last week.
“The
contract called for replacing buses over 10 years old. It’s a big upgrade from
what the contract called for,” said Parise, noting the buses replaced were not
an average 10 years old; many were newer.
STA
is entering its second year of operation in Guilford as the town’s school bus service,
taking over from Laidlaw Bus Co. The rest of Guilford public school bus fleet includes 11
other Internationals built in 2005 and nine, 24-passenger 2007 yellow vans with
air conditioning. Two white Dodge Caravans are also used for other student
transportation needs.
Parise
said STA in Guilford
is ready to roll with a full roster of drivers on Aug. 28, but it is still
actively hiring drivers, as well.
“We
still need drivers. All of the routes are covered, but we don’t have any spare
drivers. The starting rate is $13 per hour. It’s a great part-time job,” he
said.
To
contact STA in Guilford
for more information, call 203-453-9056.
Pictured: Taking off on
their first solo ride in a new STA school bus are these incoming
kindergarteners at A.W.
Cox School.
STA and Guilford Public Schools held bus orientations for
all of the town’s kindergarteners Aug. 20 and Aug. 21.
Photo
by Pam Johnson