(BEDFORD) – Duane Boady, Transportation Director for the North Lawrence Community Schools, states they are ready for the new school year.
The first day for students is Tuesday, August 6, 2019.
North Lawrence Community Schools has 39 corporation routes and 40 contract routes which cover more than 4,000 miles a day transporting children to and from school.
This year the school corporation purchased a software system to help aid in keeping track of things.
The VERSATRANS system keeps track of how many children are on a particular route and gives officials a better understanding of the capacity of the busing system. The system should be up and running next week after the school year begins. It is essential for parents to notify the school and transportation department of any changes so the system can work efficiently.
The corporation purchased five 2016 model school buses this year. Each bus cost around $65,000. A new school bus costs approximately $95,000, according to Boady. The purchases will allow the corporation to have a few buses in reserve should any need repairs or maintenance.
All the buses have been inspected by the Indiana State Police and are ready to hit the streets with students. Every school bus driver has been updated on the new laws that went into effect this year.
One of the laws is centers around right-hand pickups on state and federal highways.
The Transportation Department is always hiring. At present, North Lawrence has enough drivers to make sure kids get delivered to the school.
All bus drivers must complete the Indiana State requirements for bus drivers as well as complete annual refresher training.
“I am ready for the school year, ready to get out driving the bus,” said Fred Harris, a NLCS bus driver. Harris was at the garage to make sure his bus was ready to go next week. Harris started driving for the Mitchell School Corporation and then started driving for North Lawrence Corporation several years ago. His bus route is A-51 which encompasses the southwest side of Bedford.
Duane Boady started is a bus driver from the Monroe County Community Schools Corporation, and this is his first year being in charge of the North Lawrence Community Schools Transportation Department. He is also a certified bus driver instructor and wears many different hats around the transportation department.
“The biggest thing parents can do is make sure information is updated. Keep us informed, so if emergencies occur we can contact you easily. Other than a few tweaks here and there things should be running the same as last school year,” Boady added.
