The new school year begins Tuesday morning at Biloxi Public Schools, and motorists are reminded to be wary of school crossing zones, which have reduced speed limits.
About 5,000 students are expected to be attending classes at Biloxi’s four elementary schools, Biloxi Junior High School, and Biloxi High School.
Sam Bailey, transportation director for Biloxi Public Schools, has advice for parents of students, and motorists who will encounter school buses throughout the city:
For parents
— Review school bus rules with your child.
— Provide the child a backpack properly sized for him or her.
— Encourage your child to wear bright colors.
— Prevent route delays by having the child at the stop a few minutes early.
— Discourage children from chasing the school bus.
— Support the bus driver enforcing safety rules.
— Address concerns by calling the school’s transportation department.
For motorists
— Bus routes are designed to limit delays to the general public traffic.
— Bus stops are centrally located to reduce the impact on traffic delays.
— Be vigilant in watching for students at corners, sides of the street and in front of houses from 6:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
— All vehicles in both directions must stop for school buses at a bus stop, unless the roadway is divided by a dividing median (a center turning lane is not a dividing median).
— Please be patient as the bus driver performs a safe bus stop service.
— Remain stopped until the school bus has retracted its stop arm, red flashing lights turn off, and that the bus has begun moving.
— Contact the school district transportation department to report any concerns.
See it for yourself: Transportation Director Sam Bailey recently reviewed school bus issues during a segment on the WLOX “4 o’clock Show.” To see the segment, courtesy of WLOX, click here.
