Iron County’s Transportation System Covers Four Thousand Three Hundred Miles Every Single Day
As the new school year gets underway, the Iron County School District is moving thousands of students around the community every day, while school officials and law enforcement are reminding drivers that getting where you’re going is never more important than getting children there safely.
John Webster, Director of Transportation for the Iron County School District, said the district’s buses collectively travel about 4,300 miles every day on approximately 110 routes, transporting around 7,000 students.
“Well, in Iron County, we cover daily, cumulatively, about 4,300 miles in school buses,” Webster said. “So about 110 different routes spread across the valley and just staffing and I mean we have to run on time. Occasionally traffic or something makes us a little late but it's like everything is in real time. You can't procrastinate until tomorrow. You got to staff drivers every day.”
What It Takes To Become A School Bus Driver
Josh Eisenach, a trainer with the district’s Transportation Department, said school-bus drivers must have a Class B commercial driver’s license, along with passenger and school-bus endorsements. Drivers also complete 10 hours of continuing education each year.
Eisenach said the process of becoming a qualified school-bus driver generally takes three to four weeks, including medical certification, written testing, behind-the-wheel training, classroom or “theory” training and a final driving test.
The district is currently well staffed, although Webster said turnover can be a challenge, particularly because many drivers are retired. He said the job can be an attractive option for retirees because it follows the school calendar.
“It’s a split shift,” Webster explained. “So usually from about 640 in the morning till 930 and then in the afternoon from 2 to 4. So you got a break in between there.”
Cedar City Police Department Traffic Officer Shumway said drivers need to pay particular attention to school buses and school zones. He said flashing yellow lights on a school bus mean motorists may proceed with caution when it is safe to do so, while flashing red lights and the extended stop sign mean traffic must stop.
The requirement applies to traffic approaching from either direction unless the roadway is properly divided by a permanent barrier.
Shumway also reminded drivers that flashing school-zone lights indicate a mandatory 20-mile-per-hour speed limit.
Read More: How Iron County Schools Respond To Emergency Situations
The transportation department also handles buses for school activities, including athletic teams, choirs and elementary-school trips.
Webster said the district’s transportation operation is ultimately about more than schedules and routes.
“Our focus and part of the reason we brought Officer Shumway today is just to remind people, look, safety is you have roads like Cross Hollow that are wide and people feel like if they're opposite of a school bus, they can,” Webster said.
The message from the transportation department and police is simple: slow down, pay attention and give school buses—and the children around them—the extra caution they deserve.
You can listen to the entire interview in the podcast below.
Benefits Of Riding In An Electric School Bus
Gallery Credit: Chris Cruise // Townsquare Media
