Transportation Gears Up for Winter

During this month’s in-service training at the Transportation Department, school bus drivers will be reviewing winter driving conditions and procedures. Transportation Director John Griffith says safety remains the highest priority.

“We will talk about safe following distances, appropriate speeds for the conditions and how to use the transmission gears to slow down,” said Griffith. “We will also go through a chain-up class to make sure that every single driver in the district knows how to put chains on the bus.”

All Walla Walla Public Schools buses are plugged-in each night with block heaters to make them easier to start during cold weather. School bus drivers arrive early to ensure the buses will properly start during in the cold and leave for their routes on time.

“We also make sure our drivers are briefed on current road conditions each morning,” said Griffith. “My leadership staff and I spend a lot of time during the early morning hours driving roads to make sure it is safe for all students, pedestrians and parents to be traveling on the roads to and from school.”