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Safe Rides Take All of Us
LPS marks National School Bus Safety Week with a shared call to protect students
LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOL, NJ (Oct. 21) โ Fifty routes. More than 1,200 students. One shared responsibility: getting children to school and home safely.
During National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 19โ23, Linden Public Schools is highlighting the people and precautions behind those daily journeys. This yearโs theme, โSafe Rides, Everyday Heroes,โ carries a message for the entire community: protecting students takes all of us, on and off the bus.
Safety Behind the Scenes
Through Villani Bus Company, George Dapper Inc. and J&J Transportation, LPS provides door-to-door pickups and neighborhood corner stops. The district reports quarterly bus inspections and requires aides, cameras and seat belt use on every bus. Two medical buses each carry a nurse and an aide.
New Jersey requires criminal background checks for drivers and aides. Drivers must also check buses after routes to ensure no student remains aboard.
Your Part in a Safer Ride
School buses offer substantial protection, but students remain vulnerable while boarding, exiting and crossing nearby streets. Families can reinforce these habits:
Stand back: Wait at least 10 feet from the curb.
Wait for the signal: Approach only after the bus stops and the driver gives permission.
Buckle up: Remain seated, face forward and keep aisles clear.
Cross in front: Stay at least 10 feet ahead of the bus, wait for the driverโs signal and check traffic before crossing. Never cross behind it.
Tell the driver: Never retrieve something dropped near or under the bus.
Motorists have a critical role, too. On roads without a physical divider, New Jersey requires traffic in both directions to stop at least 25 feet from a school bus displaying flashing red lights.
This work supports Strategic Priority 4: Fiscal Stewardship & Operational Excellence, connecting safe, dependable transportation to studentsโ access to learning.
For parents, neighbors and everyone sharing the road, the message is simple: slow down, stay alert and give every child a safe journey.